Their formation was almost star-shaped, with Aiden and the other swordsmen forming the five points and the archers standing back to back in the middle. All of those armed with swords faced outward and were at least six feet apart, leaving enough room to swing their weapons.
“What's going on?” Tom asked as he stood to Aiden's left and stared at the brooding forest around them.
“Sharon thought that she heard something calling her name,” Aiden replied, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him. “Couple that with the strange calls I heard earlier and I think that something is playing with us, stalking us.”
“Monster?”
“I'd bet money.”
Tom cursed softly.
“We're in a bad spot here defensively,” he observed.
Tom's outstanding feature were his eyes. They were bright green and sparkled like emeralds in the sunlight. Right now they were focused on Aiden with laser-like intensity.
“The trees are too close here,” he added. “We won't see any attackers until they hit us.”
Aiden knew that all of the guardsmen were listening closely and he chose his words carefully.
“I agree. Okay, we have to move. I'll lead the way. Swordsmen, flank Natalie and Sharon and protect them as we move. And if you two see anything suspicious, shoot first and ask questions afterwards. If we're lucky, we'll reach a break in the trees where we can defend ourselves more effectively. Let's go.”
The group moved with practiced discipline as they followed Aiden. He walked steadily, but not too quickly, which allowed the others to stay in formation and watch the trees around them. There were no more mysterious cries, but Aiden could feel a brooding presence watching them from the depths of the forest. It was menacing and malicious and he could only hope that they could reach a more defensible position before it pounced on them, whatever it was.
Maybe it was luck or maybe the gods decided to give them a bit of a break, but the troop had only been moving for a few minutes when the trees opened up and they entered a large meadow. The sun beamed down merrily on the group here and the ground rose up and formed a mound in the center of the grass-covered clearing.
“Wow,” Tom exclaimed as they left the brooding shadows of the trees. “Did you plan this, boss? This spot is almost perfect for us.”
Aiden chuckled at the suggestion.
“If I had planned this, Tom, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Now let's get to the top of that mound and resume our previous formation.”
Once everyone had moved to the summit of the low hill and gotten into position, they were able to relax slightly. They had an excellent view of the surrounding countryside and Aiden could walk around the edge of the mound and scout out the forest while his people settled themselves in.
“You should all eat and drink now while you have a chance,” he told them as he paced along the perimeter of the hill. “It may be your last chance for a while.”
All of them carried pouches on their belts which contained rations made of dried meat and pressed fruit. They also carried water flasks. Aiden always made sure his troops were prepared when he took them out on a long patrol.
Everyone sheathed their weapons at his suggestion and began eating a quick snack. Natalie and Sharon watched the forest and waited until the rest of the guardsmen had finished and rearmed themselves before slipping their bows over their shoulders and eating their own rations.
Aiden continued to pace around the mound, his senses on high alert. He still felt hidden eyes on them and he had no doubt that an attack was imminent. The problem was that the sun was marching steadily toward the western horizon and he had no intention of remaining out in the wilderness after dark. But he had to be sure not to move off prematurely. A running battle under the trees would be suicidal.
He stopped next to Tom and the two of them looked off over the forest. The hill was just high enough to see some of the tree tops.
“What do you think, sir?” Tom asked under his breath. “Are we still in danger?”
“Definitely,” Aiden replied quietly as he scanned the shadows under the trees. “Whatever Sharon and I heard didn't pack up its toys and go home just because we found a more defensible position. It's still out there, watching us.”
“Yeah, that's what I think too.”
Tom quickly looked up at the sun.
“But time is ticking,” he warned.
“I know, Tom. Believe me, I know.”
He drew his sword and ran a forefinger lightly along its edge. If he hadn't been wearing thick gloves, Aiden might have sliced off his finger. He smiled in approval and sheathed the weapon again.
“I just want everyone to get some rest before we head off again,” he continued as he looked back at the alert guardsmen. “If we have to make a fast push through the forest, we need to be as fresh as possible.”
Tom nodded in agreement, still scanning the surrounding trees.
“Good thinking. But we'll be ready to move when you give the order, never fear.”
Aiden grinned at him.
“I never do,” he said as he began walking again.
Malcolm was frozen in place. He wanted to announce his presence to the elven woman, but at the same time he didn't want to frighten her off. Also, elves were known for their skill with bows and he had no doubt that she could grab her weapon and put an arrow between his eyes before he could get close enough to stop her. It was a dilemma.
He was also in shock at the sight of an actual elf. Elves had left the Earth years before, after helping Simon O'Toole and the human race defeat the dragons. They lived in another dimension or on another plane or something. Malcolm really didn't understand exactly where they were from. All he knew was that the elven race had left and, according to Simon, they would not be able to return for centuries, if they could ever return at all.
But here he was looking at an actual elf. How was that even possible?
“You know, it really isn't polite to stare.”
Malcolm jumped as the woman's comment caught him off-guard. She had stopped humming and she didn't raise her head, but obviously she was aware of him.
“Um, sorry about that,” he replied nervously. “I, uh, didn't expect to run into someone out here.”
“Yes, I suppose that's true.”
The elf slipped whatever she was holding into a pouch on her belt and looked over at Malcolm, pushing back her hair as she raised her head.
He caught his breath when he saw her face. Her large blue eyes and small features truly were 'elf-like'. And she was incredibly beautiful. Even though he wasn't physically attracted to women, Malcolm could appreciate their beauty, and this woman was stunning.
“So now that you've interrupted me, perhaps you should introduce yourself?” she said pointedly.
“Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry. My name is Malcolm. I'm from Nottinghill Castle.”
“I thought as much,” the elf replied. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Malcolm assured her.
“Is it? How interesting.”
The elf stood up gracefully and picked up her bow.
“And my name is Chase,” she said as she slipped the bow over her shoulder.
“Chase? That sounds like a human name.”
“Yes, I'm sure it does. My elven name is quite unpronounceable to humans, so I adopted the name Chase. As a ranger, it seemed appropriate.”
Malcolm walked forward slowly, quickly sheathing his blade to show his peaceful intent. When he was about ten feet away from Chase, she made an abrupt gesture and he stopped immediately.
“That is close enough,” she stated. “I mean no offense, but I do not know you, human, and trust is earned, not given lightly.”
“I understand,” Malcolm replied. “I feel the same way.”
The woman smiled slightly and they spent a moment sizing each other up.
Naturally Malcolm towered over Chase, but she was still taller than the average
human woman. But she wasn't slim and delicate. Instead, the elf was stocky, her bare arms corded with muscle. Her brown hair hung down to her waist and she tucked it behind her pointed ears to keep it out of the way.
What surprised Malcolm was the fact that Chase's arms were covered with dark tattoos. Symbols and characters that he didn't recognize ran up and down both of her arms. They were pretty in their own way and he wondered what they represented.
Chase, for her part, looked him up and down slowly and raised an eyebrow.
“Are all human males as large as you are these days?” she asked.
Malcolm chuckled and shook his head.
“Not even close. I Changed just before the dragons returned a decade ago. Most men are about a foot shorter than I am and weigh a lot less.”
“Ah yes, the Change. I've heard of that. The Lawful gods' gift to a few members of your race, yes? Well then, I suppose you must consider yourself fortunate.”
“Yes and no,” Malcolm said with a frown. “My world was destroyed, my family and friends all died, and the monsters took over the planet. I'm alive, so that's the lucky part, I guess. But I don't think that it outweighs the horrors that my people faced, and are still facing.”
Chase's guarded expression changed somewhat.
“Forgive me, I meant no offense,” she said softly. “Your people have suffered unimaginable sorrow and I grieve for you. My own race was saved from the dragons' invasion of our world thanks to a small group of humans, and two special people in particular. And we all owe you a tremendous debt because of that.”
Malcolm nodded his understanding.
“You're speaking of Simon O'Toole and the paladin Liliana?”
“Ah, you know of them?”
“Simon was a friend of mine,” Malcolm told her with a wistful smile. “As was Liliana. She was one of the bravest people that I've ever known.”
Chase frowned at his statement.
“Why are you saying 'was'? Has something happened to them?”
“I'm not sure what happened to Simon,” Malcolm admitted. “The mages say that he disappeared into the Void because he was badly wounded and needed some place that was safe to recover his health. But that was years ago. I don't even know if he still lives. As for Liliana...”
His breath caught in his throat.
“She gave her life to save us from the primal red dragon, just a few days ago. She's... gone now.”
Chase stepped back and sat down heavily on the tree stump behind her. She stared up at Malcolm with wide eyes.
“Gone? Both of them are gone?”
“Yes, they are.”
“But did not Simon O'Toole kill the primal red dragon years ago? How could the paladin be killed by the same creature? I don't understand.”
“It wasn't the same one,” Malcolm explained. “Before she died, the dragon queen was able to lay several eggs and out of them were born the new primal dragons. One of them attacked Nottinghill Castle and Liliana gave her life to destroy it.”
“The dragon queen is dead? Ah, that is news to me. Extraordinary. That the noble paladin sacrificed herself to kill a primal sounds just like her, or so the stories I have heard about her would lead me to believe. You and your people have my sympathies for your loss.”
“Thank you.”
Chase pulled something out of her pouch and looked at it. Malcolm guessed that it was the same object that she had been staring at earlier. It was an oval-shaped stone, cream-colored and so highly polished that it glittered in the sunlight.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Chase said without looking away from the stone. “I must pass along your news to my superiors.”
“Err, okay.”
Malcolm watched curiously as the elf began speaking at the stone, as if she was using an old world microphone. He couldn't understand the lyrical language she was using, but it was like music to the ear and he smiled with delight at the sound of it.
The stone began to glow as Chase spoke to it and, when she was finished, Malcolm listened as another voice replied from the magical object. This one was deeper and he thought that it must be a male's voice.
Chase listened attentively, nodding a few times, and then said a few more words and slipped the stone back into her pouch. She stood up and smiled at Malcolm.
“I have passed along your news to my commander. He's asked that I request an audience with your leaders, if that is possible. Now that our worlds are back in phase and we can travel to this planet, he wants me to re-establish diplomatic relations with your people. Do you think that they would be amenable?”
“Amenable? They would be delighted,” Malcolm exclaimed with a wide grin. “We can head back to the castle right now, if you'd like.”
“I would like that, yes. Please lead the way.”
“It would be my pleasure,” the big man said as he turned back toward the forest's edge.
Wow, he thought as he walked back into the trees with the elf following behind him. No one is going to believe this!
Aiden and his troops waited about half an hour before deciding to set off again. Whatever was hidden in the shadows of the forest apparently wasn't going to attack them while they were in a defensible position.
“It might be waiting for the cover of darkness,” Aiden told the group as they gathered around him. “Or it wants us scattered throughout the forest. Either way, waiting here any longer is a bad idea. So we'll head north again, close formation. Since we don't know which direction an attack will come from, if we are attacked at all, I want you, Natalie, to stay in the center of the line and Sharon, you bring up the rear.”
Both women nodded expressionlessly.
“Remember, if we're hit, don't run. We are stronger together. And no matter what happens, when we get home, the drinks are on me.”
That made everyone grin and several of the guardsmen cheered.
“I'll be sure to hold you to that, sir,” Tom said with a laugh.
“I know you will, Tom. Your, um, capacity is legendary.”
That evinced a round of laughter and Tom clasped his hands in front of himself and looked down at the ground.
“Well, one does one's best,” he said with false modesty.
Aiden gave him a friendly clout on the shoulder.
“All right, everyone,” he said more seriously. “Let's go. Stay alert. No stragglers.”
He set off down the slope of the hill, heading northward at a steady pace.
Aiden had only walked a dozen steps or so and hadn't even reached the edge of the forest before a series of savage cries stopped him in his tracks. The troops behind him had to dodge to the left and right to avoid bumping into him.
“Get back up the hill,” Aiden ordered hastily. “I don't know what that was, but it definitely wasn't friendly.”
All of them raced back up the low slope and spread out again, with the archers in the center of the formation. Everyone drew their weapons and settled their shields on their off-arms. Natalie and Sharon set arrows to their bows and waited.
“Please tell me that you all heard that this time,” Aiden asked them loudly as they stared out at the trees.
“We absolutely did, sir,” Tom assured him. “But what the hell was it?”
“No idea. But there's more than one of them, whatever they are. We may be attacked from several directions at once. Natalie, Sharon, don't wait for my order to shoot. Choose your own targets.”
“Yes sir,” they answered in unison.
Several minutes passed and the forest became eerily silent. The sounds of birds and insects faded away and the air became still. The atmosphere was charged with foreboding and Aiden could hear his own heart beating in the silence.
“This isn't natural,” Miguel muttered.
“There! What's that?”
Tom was pointing down at the edge of the clearing and Aiden moved over to stand next to him.
“What the hell...” he murmured.
A pale figure had stepped out of the trees and wa
s glaring up the slope at them. At first glance it looked like a naked woman, her skin as colorless as milk. But whatever she was, she definitely wasn't human.
Writhing tentacles hung down from her head, coiling and shuddering like snakes. Her breasts hung flaccid to her waist and the creature was covered with brown stains like dried blood. But her face was the real horror. She had no eyes. Instead, gaping holes in her head dribbled a steady stream of yellow, puss-like fluid down her face. Her black lips were drawn back in a snarl and jagged yellow fangs filled her mouth. And she was big, at least as tall as Aiden was, maybe taller.
The monster threw back her head and howled, a screech that sounded like metal scraping on metal. And she was immediately answered from several directions as others of her kind emerged from the shadows of the forest all around the clearing.
“My God, what are they?” someone asked in horror.
“Banshees.”
Aiden looked over his shoulder at Sharon. He knew that she was originally from Ireland and her accent was suddenly thicker now as she stared at the menacing figures below them.
“Banshees? Seriously?”
“Yes sir, I think so. At least they remind me of tales my Mam told me when I was little. Banshees would lure travelers away with cries for help and they would never be seen again. Or so the stories said. And if that's what they are, then we are in deep trouble. Legend has it that a banshee cannot be harmed by mundane weapons, and even enchanted swords barely scratch them.”
“Oh great,” Tom said softly. “All of our weapons are enchanted, thanks to our talented blacksmith, but if they don't do much damage...”
Aiden joined Natalie and Sharon at the top of the hill. He turned in a complete circle, counting the monsters.
“Six of them,” he said loudly. “Well then, it looks like we're in for a scrap. Remember your training, stay calm and we'll get through this.”
“Don't let them scratch you if you can avoid it,” Sharon warned. “It's said that their claws are poisonous.”
“Well, this is getting better by the moment, isn't it?” Tom joked feebly.
As the group watched, the banshees hunched down, looking like runners on a starting line.
The Werewolves of Nottinghill Page 9
