by Troy A Hill
But, Hunchback was still awake. I could hear him move from time to time. The only thing he did wrong was to keep looking at the fire. A real guard would have kept his back to the light so his eyes would see what moved in the dark. That was lucky for me.
I almost jerked when I felt a wet nose press into my hand. The young wolf had crawled behind me. He was silent, and Hunchback didn't notice him. I froze but opened my hands. My young wolf friend dropped a hard, wet object into my palm. A rock.
I rotated it around in my fingers. The young wolf had the right idea, but the wrong shape. It had a slight point, but no edge. I sent an image of me rubbing his head, but followed with an image of a rock with a sharp edge. Hunchback might hear if I tossed the rock away. I didn't want to give them any excuses to break out the silver blades. So I projected the idea for the wolf to take the rock away and drop it in the forest far away from me. He licked my hand and scooted away with the stone between his teeth again.
I reached out to Greyback and asked about mother and the other youngling.
“They sleep,” his answer wasn’t words, but that was how my mind interpreted it. “Next sun they walk and find us. Soon we will run together.” I knew what he would say next, and I said it with him. “We are pack…”
10
Playing with the Demon
My tormentors ran me the next day. With my head covered and a rope from my neck to Onion Breath’s saddle, I had to run blind behind them or get dragged along. He dragged me several times when I fell. We were on a cart path through the countryside. I slid along the grass between the wheel ruts until he slowed enough I could stand again. Fortunately, the rope around my neck wasn’t silvered. That would hurt.
Greyback and Petram, the young wolf, had to stay back. I had named him last night. Petram, a Latin word for rock. He was the wolf that brought me a rock and liked to have his head tousled.
Since they had to hang back to remain unnoticed, I couldn't use my link with Greyback to do much more than see a generalised view of the land before us. I couldn't tell if I was about to hit a rock or a bump in the dirt track, or if we were about to descend a hill. A curse hovered on my tongue each time I stumbled, but I kept my mouth shut. I knew he wanted me to. He wanted to hear me complain.
As the day wore on, I could feel my meagre energy seep away as I ran. All I could do was concentrate on not falling while I kept my demon locked away. She gradually gained ground in our battle. Little by little, as each league passed under my feet, my demon inched closer to full control of my body.
I could hear the pulse of whichever of my captors was closest. When that happened, I shut my eyes tight, shifted to Greyback’s senses. With the damned silver ropes on me, I had to hold my thirst in check.
Somewhere along the trail Onion Breath took us off the main road.
“Don’t we want to go through the village,” the apprentice’s voice asked from behind me.
“No time,” The Hunchback said. “The witch has an appointment with the seeker. If we stop and let every villager stone her, we’ll be late. You never want to be late with a seeker.”
Every time I almost forgot about their superior in the guild, Onion Breath found a way to remind me.
Even though I didn't need to breathe, I let out a breath of relief when Onion Breath called a halt. Once we had stopped, Onion Breath came back and shoved me down. As soon as I hit the ground, he pressed his favourite toy, the long silver dagger against my throat.
“Stay put,” he hissed.
The hunchback wrapped the silvered cord around my ankles again. He jerked the ropes around my hands, tied behind my back. I yelped with pain as the silver cords bit into my flesh.
“We’ll let the tiliga have fun with you later. First, it’s time for food.”
Greyback snuck up near enough I could use our link to see the campsite. Scrub grew close to the grassy clearing we occupied. The grooves of the cart track ran off into a wooded area, about half a league from our location. While not forested, there were thickets of trees and scrub all around, close enough I'd have a place to hide my flight if I got away.
Get away? My blood demon was pacing and snarling in my mind. These cretins would be my meal if I got out. The dull ache of hunger I had last night, whenever one of my captors came close, had turned into a raging fight with my demon.
Bah-beat. Bah-beat. I heard their heart beats. My teeth grew every time I could sense one of them get near.
If… no... when I got out of the bonds, these Witch Hunters didn’t have much of a future. Once free, I’d not worry about my blood-demon. With these cretins I would let her have her... our revenge.
That made me shudder. Onion Breath was close enough to notice. He laughed.
My desire to release the demon and kill the men showed just how much of a hold she had gained today. My passion for revenge only fuelled my demon and made my fight to control her that much more difficult.
The apprentice — the one Onion Breath called tiliga, farm boy — I held out hope for him. Perhaps I could keep enough control and spare him. Verpa Dei! My demon slid my fangs back out when I thought about the lad. This would be a tough fight.
I sent my thoughts out to Petram. He needed to find me a much sharper rock, and soon. I needed out of these bonds. Soon.
With Greyback's vision, I could see our little campsite. The apprentice had scraped a clearing in the grass for their fire. Hunchback tied a picket line between two trees for the horses, then pulled the saddles off them. Onion Breath went through the packs. He pulled out a cook pot. Through the wolf's eyes, I could see he kept his silver daggers out, close at hand. I shifted and tried to find a more comfortable spot in the tall grass where I lay. Onion Breath's hand darted to his weapon as soon as I moved. He watched me for a few seconds.
"Keep still Witch!" he shouted. "We'll get to you soon."
I was sure he would. All day, he had boasted of his exploits against women, and concluded each one with a lesson for the apprentice, as if his tales were some warped parable. He seemed to want to teach his apprentice how to be a creep and an abuser.
Bah-beat. His heart pulsed and my demon paced in her cage. My fangs came out again. This time I pushed my tongue against them. Onion Breath was one I wanted dead. I could imagine the taste of his blood on my tongue.
My demon made us strain against our bonds. Only the pain of the silvered ropes – when they cut into my flesh — gave me enough leverage to pull her back. Idiot! Stop thinking about blood. Free yourself first.
Once my captors had their camp established and food in their pot, they sent the apprentice out to forage for wild tubers to add to their dried vegetables.
“Don’t forget to set a snare, and see if you can catch a rabbit,” Hunchback yelled after him.
I bit off a chuckle when Greyback snuck to the snare and nosed a twig into it. The line snapped taut. That wolf had a sense of humour.
Once their camp work finished, and the sun had dropped beneath the horizon, Onion Breath approached me with his knife in hand. He rolled me onto my front and jerked my skirt up.
I had gone for over six centuries without a man forcing himself into me. Six hundred long years without that invasion. Sure, many men had tried over the years. They ended up feeding my thirst. Then I made sure they'd never harm another woman again.
But tonight, I had to tighten my throat when I wanted to scream. With those cursed silvered ropes around me, I was helpless to stop him.
But, fear wasn’t why I wanted to scream. No. With him this close, where I could hear his pulse racing, and smell the blood inside him… combined with the thought of him pressing his flesh into me unwanted… That would be enough to let my demon surge and take control.
I could not let that happen. Not while those damned silver cords bound me. Once I freed myself from these bonds, he would die, and my demon would feed.
Just not yet… please not yet… My demon snarled and stalked through my mind. Ready. Waiting for me to drop my flimsy control.
He must have realised his dramatic gesture was wasted since I still had my head covered. Little did he know I saw him. I grinned since he couldn't see my face.
The guilder pushed the point of the silver knife into the flesh of my thigh. I yipped. The silver burned hot as it bit my flesh. The cut wasn't deep, but he pushed the knifepoint along my flesh. He carved a design into my flesh. I hissed in pain and felt my fangs slide out. My demon snarled again. I might have snarled, too. Onion Breath chuckled.
He was close enough I could smell his blood. I could hear it move through his body. I had to concentrate more than ever to keep my inner demon leashed. A few yips of pain leaked out of me despite my attempt at control. That seemed to please the cretin.
The apprentice came back. Onion Breath pulled the blade off my flesh.
“Your turn,” my tormentor proclaimed. He held my skirts up.
“Go ahead, tiliga,” Hunchback offered.
“What would Bethan think…?” the young man said.
Onion Breath shoved me to roll me over. I yipped in agony as the silver ropes chaffed my skin. He ignored me. His knife continued to draw designs on my bare legs. I hissed as the knife bit into my other thigh.
"Once the tiliga has his go," Onion Breath breathed in my ear, "we'll have fun, too." The smell of his breath and closeness of his pulse made my demon rattle her cage even harder in my mind.
That sent my anger soaring, and my demon gained another finger length in our battle for dominance. They were worse than the usual scum that used and abused women.
Where in the seven hells was Petram with that sharp rock? I needed to escape before they followed through on their promise. I couldn’t let them corrupt their apprentice too. I couldn’t. He didn’t deserve that.
Several minutes later, the cretin stopped playing on my flesh with his knife. He lifted my legs again.
“Time to take her,” he called out.
“Later,” the apprentice mumbled, “Maybe later.”
"No," Onion Breath replied. "Not maybe. It will happen tonight. After we eat. We'll be at the Seeker's area late tomorrow. If you want to keep with the Guild, you have to learn about creatures like this. You need to know how to control the monsters like her. We need to teach you right. Tonight or you go home tomorrow."
Through Greyback's vision I could see the apprentice give a single nod. Until now, I had hope for him. I hadn't put him on my bad list. The other two had earned their place on it. But I hoped he would continue being the one kind soul in all of this.
My captors sat content for a while. Their meal done, they sent the apprentice to scrub out the pot and bowls.
The other two guilders stared into the fire. Their feet out and crossed at the ankles, with their hands clasped across their bellies. In the background, the insects of the night sang their songs.
Petram came in behind me, as I lay on my side again. I hoped my body blocked him from their view as he belly-crawled. I felt a wet nose press into my arm.
The rock he dropped into my hand was better than the last. It felt like a piece of slate and had an edge to it. It would do. I sent him another vision of tousling his furry head, and he faded back into the night. I moved my rock in my hands and pressed the rough edge against the cords around my wrist. Give me a few hours undisturbed, and I would be free.
11
The Test
“Get those dishes clean,” Hunchback called. “Then water the horses one more time tonight.”
"When you get done, we'll let the witch make a man out of you," Onion Breath added. The tone in his voice, the threat of rape, that he'd corrupt a young soul to go against that young man's moral code wasn't making me dread the act. Instead of being scared, I was mad.
I began the tedious process of sawing my rock against the bonds on my wrist. Greyback kept his eyes on the camp so I could watch my captors as I sawed the rock against the cords. Then Onion Breath stood.
“I’ll check her for you,” he said, "while you pack those dishes away."
Verpa Dei! The gods were dicking with me tonight.
Onion Breath strode toward me. I had just enough time to shove my new rock into the grass. I hoped I had hidden it well enough.
He checked the silvered ropes and grunted in satisfaction. He jerked my skirt up and drew his damned silver knife again.
Bah-beat. Bah-beat. My demon beat on her cage. Now that I had my sharp rock, I didn’t want that her to break loose too early.
Onion Breath sliced his knife along the skin of my leg again. The silver blade cut a slit in my flesh that made my demon shriek in pain. I wanted to scream as well but wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Instead, I pictured myself with a quill in hand, as I dipped it into the ink pot, and added a tick mark in Onion Breath's column on my imaginary ledger. The ledger was already full in his column. I had to move my imaginary quill into the margin to place this latest mark.
“Get over here, tiliga,” he growled. “It’s now or never.”
Onion Breath wandered back to the campfire. He watched with a massive grin on his face.
The apprentice began his slow walk toward me. His head hung low. His left hand clenched a bunch of his tunic. Nerves, I assumed. Not only was he about to debase himself, but the two cretins would also belittle him throughout the process. I felt sorry for him. Sorry enough that I continued to watch through Greyback's eyes. He knelt next to me.
This had to be one of the toughest things the young man ever did. He was old enough to marry and raise his own family. But these cretins were making him violate his moral code?
I was the target of what he was about to do, and I felt miserable for him. This pity confused my demon’s hunger and thirst for blood. I didn’t have to fight as he leaned in. He let go of the tunic.
Greyback was hiding, off to the side of our camp. He read my emotional turmoil and crouched, ready to dash in. I tried to calm myself. A wolf charging in right now wasn't what I needed. Those damn ropes had to come off first.
Through the wolf's eyes, I could see a small glimmer as the apprentice's left hand moved toward the ground. His knife, I thought. I would have to be careful. I didn't want to give him an excuse to cut me.
“Hurry up,” Onion Breath called. His tone told me how much he enjoyed the youth’s discomfort. He must have wanted to raise it a notch or two. “She’s only got one night left.”
“Get on with it,” the hunchback called out, exasperation heavy in his tone. “Use the witch. Show us that you’re a man.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
"I can't, not now," he said, louder for the cretins to hear.
“Hah! Told you,” Onion Breath said. My demon, quiet through this, stirred at the sound of that voice. “He remembered what I said two days ago. Don’t go after them at night.”
Had they been trying to trick him? The poor lad. They pushed and pulled him. They had told him he had to go against his conscience, to break his morals. Only to discover they were testing him
The apprentice smoothed my skirt around my legs. He rolled me onto my side. I would face the fire and my two captors. With the oat sack over my head, I couldn't see anything more than light and shadow on the cloth. I was glad I didn't have to look at their faces right then. Nor did I want my demon to do so. She was so close to taking control.
"Sorry," the apprentice whispered again. He pressed the handle of his knife into my hand. He flipped my skirt to cover the blade.
I’d repay him if I could. I wasn’t sure my demon would let me. But, I’d try give him a chance to escape. His little knife was the tool I needed to make my own escape happen.
“You remembered lesson number one, Tiliga,” Onion Breath said from the fire. “Never mess with the witches at night, that’s when they’re strongest.”
"Don't worry," the hunchback added with a dry chuckle. "We was right her
e to help you if you forgot and the witch got loose. But, make sure you wait till the sun is high. Pull her into the light that sucks her strength right out of her. Remember, don't look at her eyes. She'll grab your soul that way."
"Yeah, we'll show you how tomorrow, when we have a go at her." Onion Breath pulled out his blankets and rolled them out. He tossed his boots off. "Get some shut-eye now, and dream about fair Bethan. You can compare her to the witch when we get back."
12
Escape
I let them drift off before I dared move. I used my link with Greyback to survey the campsite. Onion Breath and the apprentice dozed in their blankets by the small campfire. We were in a gully between rolling hills. Small copses of trees were nearby, but they had set camp in an open area away from the main cart path. I hadn't heard the sounds of livestock, nor even an ox-cart for hours.
Greyback and Petram hid in a thicket. I sent my mind out to find Mother and the other youngling. They ran through the forest. But I couldn't tell if they would be here by the time I freed myself. Another two wolves in the expected fight would help even the odds. Maybe enough for me to keep my demon in check. I dreaded the time when I had to release her. If Mother and Brother could reach us in time, I might…
Hunchback's grunt by the fire interrupted my thoughts.
The hunchback had the first shift on watch. Fortunately, he gazed into the fire for most of his time on watch. If he repeated last night’s performance, I’d have about an hour before he moved to edge of the campsite to empty his bladder. But, for now, he stayed where he was.
I eased my new knife toward the silver cords wrapped around my wrists. This was delicate work to get the small blade into the cords and apply pressure with my hands at that awkward angle. A single nick with the knife let me know that even this blade was silver. So I moved carefully with it. The awkward angle meant I could cut myself along with the ropes. And every cut in my flesh by a silver blade would drive my demon closer to control. Another nick or two from this blade might be enough to tip the precarious hold I had toward her.
