He pulled himself up over another ledge. His hair hung wet, clinging to his face. He tried to shake his vision clear, tossing his head like a dog, since his hands were covered with mud. He finally decided it didn't matter and used his hands to clear his eyes.
He found himself on a wide ledge. He turned and looked back. He could no longer see the others, though he could still hear the sounds of battle somewhere below him. What he could see though, far off in the valley was Last Hamlet. The sheets of rain made it look like he was looking at a village on the bottom of a lake. Ghile hoped Master Almoriz had gotten there in time to lead his family to safety.
A part of him still worried over his family. But, the majority was focused on the stone he had seen in the goblin's chest. He knew this desire was unreasonable. Why would he want another stone? The first one had torn into his flesh and crawled its way under his skin to burn itself into his very bone. Why would he want to experience that again? If he had any sense he would be running from the thing, not risking his very life to possess it. But, here he was. Some part of him had to have it, hungered for it.
Across the ledge, partly hidden by an outcropping of rock, Ghile could see the mouth of one of the many caves of the Horn. The pull of the other stone was coming from there. Ghile didn't hesitate, he leaned forward and began to run across the ledge, straight into the dark yawning maw.
Ghile couldn't see anything, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, but his sense of smell was immediate. He was assaulted by the raw mix of musk and urine. He forced down the reflex to gag and covered his nose with a wet sleeve. The sounds of something scraping across stone came from somewhere up ahead. His eyes adjusted enough for him to make out three dark shadows skulking towards him.
He wished he could see and then, as if something had been waiting to answer his request, he could. Everything came into focus. He stood in a short entryway to a much larger cavern. Three giant wolves, like the one the goblin had been riding, were creeping silently towards him. Farther back in the cavern, he could see the goblin next to the wolf it had been riding. They were both against the far wall, waiting for the other wolves to strike.
The goblin hopped from one stubby leg to the other. The large wolf paced nearby. As it moved, it revealed a bound man lying on the ground behind it. Ghile recognized Uncle Toren.
He realized his uncle couldn't see him in the dim light. Ghile didn't understand why he could see so clearly. It must be another gift of a stonechosen. He didn't have time to mull it over. Right now, he had to deal with the three giant wolves.
Ghile only had a few more seconds before they would be on him. He was alone and in a cave with four enormous wolves and a goblin which likely had powers to match his own. Had this been the Ghile of a few months ago, he would have run from this cave screaming. The Ghile here, now, knew he had to even these odds. He took a deep centering breath and focused his mind.
His force shield would be helpful, but he needed to take the attack to them. He reached down and pulled the pouch containing his practice stones from his belt. He poured them into his outstretched hand even as the first wolf leaped towards him.
All four stones shot out toward the creature in quick succession. Ghile had always practiced on things far away and had never really thought of how fast he could actually push the stones away from him. He was surprised when the stones didn't bounce off the leaping wolf, but tore into its hide with four small explosions of blood and fur. Ghile fell to the side to avoid the wolf's corpse as it thudded to the ground beside him. He had barely come to the realization he had just killed one when the other two attacked.
Instinct alone was all that saved him as he brought his force shield up before the leaping wolf knocked him to the ground and tried to bite down on his throat. He felt the strength of its jaws as the force shield strained under the pressure. The wolf's flexing maw was only inches from his face. Its saliva was smeared across the shield. The wolf tried to twist and rip at the unseen force stopping it from reaching its prey.
Ghile didn't have any more stones and had to deal with this one quickly. The shield strained in his mind and he almost lost focus. Ghile thought of Gar's eyes as he fell and wondered if his eyes now held the same look of shock and fear. The thought of Gar reminded him of his jump and how he had clung to the cliff side. Ghile concentrated the force shield between the wolf's jaws. He felt it filling the gap and began extending it deeper into the creature's throat.
A sharp pain in his ankle almost caused him to lose the shield for a second time. By focusing on a small part of the shield and molding it, the whole shield was shrinking. The other wolf had locked its jaws on his foot and was savaging it. Ghile had never experienced such pain. He felt his flesh give and the animal's teeth scrape against bone.
Ghile cried out, but somehow manage to keep focus on the force shield. He knew he had to hurry and finish the first wolf. He felt waves of nausea wash over him as the other wolf continued to tear at his leg, trying to pull him away from its pack mate. If Ghile had not used his force shield to protect his neck, the two would have ripped him apart. As it was, if he didn't do something and fast, he feared he was going to lose his foot.
He focused his mind and pushed deeper into the throat of the first wolf. He felt resistance and concentrated on growing the shield. The pain in his leg seemed to shift away from the forefront of his consciousness as he focused his will on his shield. Inch by trembling inch he forced it to expand.
All resistance to the shield vanished as the wolf's lower jaw dislocated with a loud snap. The wolf fell to the ground writhing in pain and rubbing at its muzzle with its paws.
Suddenly, Ghile was sliding along the uneven stone floor. The wolf that had his foot and ankle no longer struggled against the pull of the other and was dragging him deeper into the cave. Ghile closed his eyes and focused on his wounded ankle. He imagined the force shield wrapped around his ankle like a bandage and expanded it out. Another satisfying crack echoed through the cavern as the other wolf's jaw snapped. It too fell back, writhing on the floor.
“Kill him, Bloody Maw! Kill Him!” Ghile felt the words in his head even as he heard the sharp guttural language. The goblin jumped up and down frantically pointing at him.
Ghile pushed himself up and tried to stand. The pain in his leg was white hot. Black spots danced across his eyes as his body threatened to shut down and escape.
He fell back to the ground, clutching his ankle in both hands. Blood flowed through his fingers as he tried to put pressure on the wound. He tried to focus and create another shield, but the image slipped from his thoughts on a river of agony. He searched the floor near him for anything he could try and force throw at the approaching wolf.
Blood Maw stalked towards him, a deep growl accompanying each padded step. It followed his eyes as he searched the floor. Bloody Maw looked from Ghile's wounded ankle to the barren floor around him and appeared to give its massive shoulders a shrug. It quirked its ears and then made an odd half step to the left as if getting out of the way of something.
Past the immense wolf, he saw the goblin nock an arrow. Ghile lay in the middle of the cavern, gripping his ankle, waiting for death.
Gaidel tried to sing with the All Mother's song as the serpentine predator went rushing past her. She was the mountainside. Thousands of tiny rain drops slapped her skin. Wind pushed against her, forever taking a little bit of her with it as it wore her away. She was ancient. Gaidel had to concentrate. “I am Gaidel,” she repeated to herself. She felt her companions and the frost wyrm move across her. Gaidel heard something wrong in the wyrm's song. She knew now it had been awakened unnaturally from its hibernation and was both angry and hungry. The wyrm's song rang discordant. She sang with the frost wyrm, tried to guide its song away from attacking them. Too much anger. She felt its hunger and her stomach growled. Her mouth watered for the taste of flesh.
Gaidel guided her song away from the wyrm's discordant rhythm and sang with the nearby stones. If she could just make th
em listen.
“Go save the boy!” Two Elks shouted at Riff as he struggled to free his shield from the wyrm's grasp.
Riff shot another gout of flame onto the wyrm and shook his head.
“Because you have this situation so well in hand? I think not,” Riff said.
He was worried for Ghile, but he knew his own chances for survival rested with these two in taking down this wyrm and not with Ghile, the goblin, and its worg mount.
Suddenly, Riff's feet lurched out from under him. He fell back against the side of the cliff. He scrambled to stay away from the edge. He heard a moist sucking sound as the stone he had been standing on pulled itself from the mud. He slid along the wall and protected his everflame as other stones mimicked their companion and also tore themselves free. They began sliding and tumbling of their own accord towards the frost wyrm.
Not bad, Riff had to admit. He watched Gaidel sway, her eyes closed, lost in the song.
The stones slammed against the wyrm's legs and side, causing it to release its grip on Two Elks and struggle to remain upright. Its many legs scrambled for purchase, but each time it found a surface to cling to and right itself, another stone crashed into the securing limb pushing the beast closer to the edge.
Riff crawled to his feet and moved forward, ready to throw another flame.
“The boy, Witch!” Two elks Shouted.
It took a moment for Riff to realize the barbarian meant him.
“Witch?” Riff said.
Two Elks regained his balance and sprang to his feet. Riff watched the barbarian drive his shield into the head of the frost wyrm and set about its long neck and shoulder with his great axe. The stone blade had long since lost its edge against the wyrm's thick hide. But, Two Elks was now using it more like a club. Riff had a brief vision of Two Elks coming at him with that shield and axe and felt his chances of survival shift suddenly with Ghile.
“If Ghile is hurt, I bring pain to you!” Two Elks shouted again.
“Hang on, Ghile. Help is on the way!” Riff called.
37
Inner Strength
Bloody Maw dug in deep with its thick claws and savagely snapped its jaws down again and again, but Ghile's thin shield held off its attacks. When Bloody Maw finally closed the distance with a mighty leap, Ghile had found the strength of will to bring a small force shield into existence between them. But, the giant wolf was immensely strong and with each attack, the shield weakened and Ghile was shoved further back. He gritted his teeth through the throbbing pain in his ankle. He felt another cut open along his back as he was forced across the uneven floor.
He waited for the twang of the bow string and the pain that would surely follow. He couldn't risk a glance towards the goblin since Bloody Maw was testing the size of his shield by circling and coming at him from different angles. Ghile had tried putting the wolf between him and the goblin, but his ankle wouldn't allow it.
Bloody Maw's growls and barks echoed throughout the cavern as it repeatedly threw itself against Ghile's force shield. Ghile felt his back slam against stone. He shook small dancing lights from his vision. He had been forced against the cavern wall. His own force shield slammed into him as Bloody Maw continued its assault. The air was forced out of him with each impact. He could feel the shield weakening.
Bloody Maw let out a painful yelp and sprung back off Ghile. Ghile shook his head and gulped in air as he took advantage of the lull in the attack. Across the room, the goblin was repeatedly smashing Uncle Toren, who had apparently thrown his bound body against it, making the shot aimed for Ghile go awry and hit Bloody Maw. Ghile cheered for his uncle, and felt the strength to fight bolstered by his example.
“I'm here, Uncle. Fight on!” Ghile screamed.
Bloody Maw tore the arrow from its flank with its jaws and growled at Ghile, its thick hackles rising. It tensed its muscles for another attack.
Ghile looked about. He was going to be crushed between his own force shield and the wall and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
“For the Cradle!” He heard his uncle shout. Ghile braced his shield and took one last look towards his uncle. The goblin had finally got back to its feet and was drawing a knife from its belt. Uncle Toren struggled against his bonds, striking out with his feet in a last attempt to keep the creature at bay. It seemed both he and his uncle were destined to die in this cave.
Ghile was blinded as a gout of flame flew over Bloody Maw.
“Bad dog!” Riff called out as he followed the gout with a second and then a third blast.
The smell of burnt hair and sizzled flesh filled Ghile's nostrils. He gratefully released his concentration on his force shield and felt the heat of Riff's attack wash over him. Bloody Maw thrashed against the flames.
“Don't die on me yet, Sheepherder!” Riff called out laughing as he set another burst of flames onto the thrashing wolf. Riff appeared to be reveling in his new found powers. Ghile watched the light of the flames dance across Riff's face.
Ghile was not sure if it was the pain or loss of blood, but in that moment he could see Master Almoriz's face as he let loose his fire spell back at the festival. The realization of the power his presence released within the two sorcerers washed over him. The sounds of the wolf's howls were replaced with the screams of the people at the festival.
Ghile had to get away. He used his arm as a brace and tried to rise, but the small outcropping of wall he was using as support gave under his weight and he fell to the floor among pieces of falling stone. He puzzled over the small jagged rock for a moment before he remembered where he was.
“Thank the All Mother,” Ghile gasped as he grabbed the rock and held his hand towards the goblin. With a mental push the rock shot across the distance.
The goblin had finally grabbed Toren's bound legs and was raising its blade for a killing blow. Ghile's rock slammed against the side of its head. There was a dazzling flash of white from the soulstone in the goblin's chest and from where Ghile's projectile should have impacted. The goblin flew away from Ghile's uncle, its stolen blade clattering across the hard stone floor.
Ghile pulled himself back to his feet and half hopped, half stumbled across the distance between him and his uncle.
“Uncle, it's me, Ghile,” he said as he fell to the floor by his side.
“Ghile? How… how did you find me? Where are Ecrec and the others?” Toren looked up at him with one good eye. The other had swollen shut. The whole side of Toren's face was one great bluish black bruise. The light from the fire behind Ghile danced over his uncle's features making them look macabre.
Ghile watched as Riff shot one last blast of flame on Bloody Maw's charred unmoving corpse.
“Good, dog,” Riff said, “Stay.” He gingerly sidestepped the flames and walked towards Ghile, his everflame burning before him in an upraised hand.
“I see you found Fang Toren,” Riff stated matter-of-factly. He glanced at the sound of moaning coming from the goblin who still lay on the ground, limply reaching for its chest.
“It is stonechosen,” Riff said, walking over to stand above the goblin. He stared down in silence, his face unreadable. Riff slowly extended his hand towards the prone goblin's chest. He moved as if in a dream.
“No, don't,” Ghile called. Giving his uncle's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, he pulled himself up and hopped towards Riff.
Riff gingerly touched the skin above the goblin's soulstone just as Ghile reached him.
Nothing happened.
“It was supposed to be me, Ghile. You were never meant to be in those ruins. Master Almoriz meant for me to find the statue and the seeding stone,” Riff said.
“I'm sorry, Riff. I never meant-”
“Can you imagine the power I would have had? Can you?” Riff glared up at Ghile, his eyes hard. The light of the everflame flared briefly. He looked back at the goblin.
Ghile reached down and picked up the goblin's dropped blade. The steel scratching along the stone as he lifted it, awkwardly fav
oring his good ankle.
Riff turned and rose up to face Ghile.
“Ghile?” Uncle Toren called.
Ghile and Riff stood there for a moment before Ghile offered him the blade. “Please, free my uncle.”
Riff took one more long look at the goblin and his shoulders relaxed as if some weight he had been carrying for a long time finally lifted.
“Better you than me, Sheepherder,” Riff said grinning.
He accepted the knife.
“None too shabby on those other Worgs, Ghile. You will have to tell me how you defeated them.”
“Ghile, defeated them?” Toren repeated in confusion, looking between his two rescuers.
Riff smirked and went to kneel down beside Toren.
“Oh, yes. Haven't you heard? Ghile is a stonechosen of Haurtu. Everyone is talking about it.” He set to work on the bonds. Riff carried on explaining everything to Uncle Toren as if he were chatting about the weather over a cask of Whispering Rock's finest.
Ghile looked down on the small writhing form beneath him. He remembered the pain and disorientation he had felt when he had been struck by the culler's hammer. He felt sympathy for it as he knelt down. Driven by a feeling, more than anything else, he reached out and moved its small clawed hands which had curled up to protect the stone. How large it looked in its chest, but Ghile could tell it was identical to his own. He nodded as he took in the suffering creature one last time. He knew once he did this, his path was set and there was no going back. With more calmness than he felt, Ghile reached down and placed his palm over the Goblin's stone.
The cutting pain was sharp and immediate. Unyielding heat seared into his palm. The Goblin's eyes rolled back in its head as it let out a shrilling cry.
Ghile reflexively grabbed the hand attached to the goblin with his other and tried in vain to pull it free. The Goblin was glowing from within, its skin a bright translucent green. Then it was simply gone as if it had never existed. With its disappearance, the pain increased in Ghile's hand and he fell back as the new stone began the excruciating journey under his skin towards his chest.
The Cradle of the Gods (The Soulstone Prophecy Book 1) Page 15
