by Mike Morris
Lin became aware of the sound of thunder growing louder over the horse's hooves splashing through the water. Even the ground seemed to shake beneath them. The night sky appeared through an opening directly ahead. Soon, she’d would be in open sight. Again she dug her heels into the horse's side and it ran faster. If the Masters were waiting, she'd not give them an easy target.
The sound of the thunder assaulted them as they burst from the darkness into the open. The roar shook her to her bones. The horse reared in fear and Lin struggled to stay on its back. Lin looked left and right for any danger. Saw nothing but space. They were at the end of the river. In front of them was a waterfall where several rivers converged, pouring over the cliff edge into a great abyss.
She pulled hard on the reins but it had little effect. The horse was mad with fear. It circled around, rearing and stomping in the fast-flowing water. The horse lost its balance and, as it toppled, threw Lin from its back. She flayed her arms in desperation, trying to claw a purchase on the air around her.
She fell with the water. The horse followed.
The river roared in fury as mist swallowed them both. Water pounded her from every direction. She thought of Pet'r and Jaar as she dropped. She'd be with them soon enough. Hopefully in a better place.
She crashed into the water. The impact smashed the air from her lungs. It punched her in the face. Pummeled every inch of her body. And then she was under, sucked down.
The water pushed her deeper and deeper still. She didn't know which way was up or down. She gulped for air but only swallowed more water. Panic took over.
Something solid battered her legs and a small part of her brain registered that she was at the bottom. She kicked against it. She fought with the water, clawing upwards. She screamed into the thunder.
As she spun around, something smashed into the back of her head. More water. She kicked frantically. The last act of a dying woman.
Suddenly her head broke through the surface. Lin gasped, choking on the water inside her lungs.
She was pushed under again. Exhaustion seeped into every part of her, telling Lin to give up, to let the water have her.
Her feet found something solid. She pushed one more time, lurching, stumbling. Her head was out now, followed by her shoulders, chest. She coughed, vomiting water.
Lin staggered in the shallows. She fell forward, going under again. She pushed herself up.
She tried to suck air in and get back on to her feet,
crawled a few more yards. Gulping, she tried to breathe. The world spiraled about her.
28
712 PN
When Lin woke up, she tried to open her eyes but one was swollen shut.
She was lying in water, freezing cold. Pain shot through her as she tried to breathe but something told her that the pain was good. It told her she was still alive. Then she remembered the fall from the waterfall. The chase. Her friends dying. She groaned with despair.
A large bump grew where the hoof clipped her earlier. Her left arm was sore but it could move, a sign that it was not broken. She wasn't quite so sure about her ribs. Shards of pain accompanied every breath. Her skin was covered with bruises, nicks and scratches but at least the cut from Bale's spear wasn’t bleeding anymore.
She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. Not long. It was still dark, still night and she was still in danger.
Lin stood up only for the ground to threaten to turn itself upside down again. She steadied herself with a few deep breaths. She looked up at the cliff face to see how far she’d fallen. It was higher than the west wall of the city, maybe twice as high. It was a miracle she was still alive. The rock face followed her side of the river. She’d never be able to climb out. The slope on the other side looked more inviting. It climbed gradually up to more woodland. She just had to get across the river somehow.
It churned at her feet, battering its way through the gorge. Swimming wasn’t an option — she didn’t know. Lin's only hope was to follow it and find a way to cross on foot further down stream.
The broken body of the horse lay close by. A shudder ran through her. She had been so lucky in the fall. She could so easily have been as dead as the horse.
Lin found a sword strapped to the left side of the saddle. She pulled it from the sheath. The blade was only an arm's length but she could feel the weight in it, the quality. A dragon was etched into the steel. She touched one of the edges, immediately drawing blood. It was razor sharp. She wouldn't have survived if the Prince had attacked her with that, but it more than made up for the knife she’d left in the Master’s neck.
Lin removed the sheath from the saddle and attached it to her belt before slipping the sword back inside it. Whatever happened, at least she was armed.
There was also a riding cloak tied to the rear of the saddle. The outside was rich dark leather, whilst the inside was a soft, shorthaired grey fur. It was as beautiful in its own way as the sword. She smiled. The cloak was far better than anything the Scrounger would have found for her. She tucked it under her arm and set off down the riverbank.
She followed it for a few hundred yards before the cliff jutted out into the water, cutting her path off. Her only option was to try and cross the river. She stood there, staring at the other side as if that would bring it closer until she finally accepted she was going to have to go back into the water.
Lin waded into the water until it was waist high and she had to hold the sword and cloak above her head. She looked over to the other bank. It seemed closer now that she was in the water and she could see a pathway winding its way through the rocks up into the cliff face.
Lin took another step forward, testing the depth. As long as it didn’t get too high, she’d be okay and the sight of the path gave her confidence. Only once the water reached her chest did she start doubting her actions and, as if sensing her discomfort, the current grew in strength, tugging at her legs. She swayed and and staggered but managed to regain her balance. She glanced back to the shore. Almost halfway across. She could do it. Another step and the water was up to her neck. It splashed her face and pulled at her body as the river raced past. Lin breathed in short ragged gasps, scared that at any moment it would have her under again. She took another step, and another. The current pushed her, making it impossible to cross in a straight line but it didn’t matter. Only reaching the other side was important. Not drowning her only goal. She swallowed a mouthful of water and almost lost her balance again as a reminder of how difficult that was going to be.
Fear threatened to overwhelm her. She was an idiot for trying this. She’d survived being hunted and falling off a cliff and now she was going to die crossing a bloody river.
Another step took the water past her mouth and she craned her face upward, only just keeping her nose above water. She fought the current to stay on her feet. She slipped and both the sword and cloak went under the surface. She jarred her ribs and pain shot through her whole body. Lin cursed as she steadied herself once more. Another step. She held her breath as the water lapped around her face. One more step. Another. Then, her face rose above the surface and she gasped the sweet air. The water still tugged and pulled at Lin but her confidence returned with every step she took towards the bank. With every step that took her out of the cold water’s embrace. She emerged finally, shivering with the cold, grateful to be alive.
Perhaps she could survive this night.
But it seemed such a foolish thought. What chance was there really? Pet'r was dead, Jaar, Ean, even Krin. She was all that was left. A girl with a sword she didn’t know how to use, battered and bruised in every way, exhausted, hungry, soaked through to the skin and about to be hunted once more. She hadn't even managed to keep the cloak dry while crossing the river. It was just another weight to carry.
Lin sank to her knees. Waves of despair crashed through her as she shivered with the cold. After everything that had happened in her life, everything she had endured, suddenly it all seemed too much to bear. She slumped forward, felt
the mud against her cheek. She just wanted to give up. It was all too hard.
Lin clenched her teeth to stop them chattering. She wasn’t going to die on some riverbank after all she had been through. There wasn’t any point freezing to death there, waiting for the Masters to come. She was alive and free. And she was going to try her damn best to stay that way.
Lin lifted her head. The path she spotted from the other bank was only ten yards away. If she got up, moving would help warm her. Walking would take her mind off everything. She could make it to the path and out of the gorge. Until she did that, there was no point worrying about anything else.
She staggered to her feet, tied the sword to her belt once more and, with the cloak under her arm, stumbled forward. She concentrated on just one foot at a time as she climbed. Sounds drifted through the night sky telling her the hunt was still on — for her, if no one else.
It took four hundred and seventy steps to reach the top of the gorge.
The cold wind whipped her once more as she stepped out onto level ground but she felt a faint glint of satisfaction when she looked back and saw the distance she had traveled. The castle glowed like some demonic skull in the darkness but at least it was far from her. She had no idea where to go but Lin knew what direction she wasn't taking.
With her past behind her, Lin took her next step forward. She’d keep going until she found a good place to hide. A place where she'd be able to rest and dry out.
She staggered along a stretch of open ground with the gorge to her right and the forest on her left. Lin wasn't in any hurry to go into the woods just yet. The open ground was easier on her tired limbs.
Her stomach rumbled with hunger, adding to her discomfort. She caught her foot in a small dip in the grass and went down on one knee. A stabbing pain shot though her as she twisted her body.
Lin blinked or perhaps she closed her eyes just a little too long. She didn't think she’d fallen asleep. Couldn't have. She was in too much pain so she got up once more and walked on.
She managed another ten yards. Simply lifting one foot after another was taking all her effort. Her will power was losing the battle with her body. Maybe it was time to just curl up and surrender to her fate.
"There she is!"
She spun around. Four Masters galloped towards her. How had they got there so quickly? She tried to run but only managed to stumble.
Suddenly, a shadow flew at her from a nearby tree. It knocked her to the ground. Her ribs screamed once more but a large hand covered her mouth, preventing the cry from escaping. A man's face loomed over.
"Lie still. Be quiet. You’ll be safe," he said and then he was off, moving towards her pursuers.
Lin saw another shadow, another man, join him. Then two more rose from the foliage. Their cloaks flicked in the wind like wings behind them, fading in and out of the darkness. They reminded her of similar dressed men on a night long ago. Another night of blood and tears.
The Masters drew closer and the men stepped aside, to funnel the horses between them. Lin couldn't understand why they weren't running.
She looked to see if there was any way of escape. Shame ran through her at the thought of running but who ever the men were, the Masters would kill them all.
The horses reached the men. Giant swords swept down. Suddenly fire and thunder erupted on ether side from sticks the men were holding. Two Masters screamed as they were thrown backwards off their horses. An acrid smoke filled the air. The Masters clattered to the ground and the men stepped aside to allow the now riderless horses to race past.
The other two Masters wheeled their horses to a halt a few yards away.
"Black Dogs!" shouted one, pointing his broadsword at the men.
"No matter. They are still only human," shouted the other. He spurred his horse into a gallop and charged, quickly followed by the other Master.
One of the men aimed a thunder stick at the leading demon. But as he fired, the Master reared his horse onto its hind legs and the animal took the brunt of the blast in its stomach and squealed in pain. As it fell to one side, the Master leapt from the saddle into the sky. He disappeared into the night, then there was a glint of armor as the Master hurtled back towards them. His sword was a streak of moonlight as it arced down. The demon landed between two of the men. The first man cried in pain from the Master's blade but the second managed to get his own sword up in time to deflect a blow.
One Master remained on horseback. He rode hard at the others, leveling his lance but they both moved at the last minute, avoiding the deadly point. The Master roared in frustration, wheeled his horse around and charged again. One of the men aimed a thunder stick and fired, hitting the Master in the chest. He stayed on his horse but dropped the lance.
Weaponless, the Master reared his horse up in an attempt to trample the men with its hooves.
The blonde haired man moved in quickly and thrust his sword deep into the horse's belly. The animal gave off an anguished cry and collapsed. The Master was pinned underneath the dying horse.
Both men attacked.
With a grunt, the Master lifted the horse up and threw it off himself. Lin only just managed to duck her head down in time as it hurtled past her. The two men increased the ferocity of their attack, trying to stop the Master getting back on his feet.
The blonde haired man grunted in surprise, his sword stopping it's descent half way down. The Master's blade erupted from the man's back, stained crimson.
The man dropped his own weapon and gripped the Master's blade as the demon tried to pull the sword free. It was then the other man struck, thrusting his own weapon through the demon's visor. The Master twitched once then he was dead.
The blonde haired man slumped down over his enemy. His companion checked him for signs of life but the man was dead. There was no time to mourn though — he ran to join his friends as they battled the remaining Master.
"Priests! A curse on your kind," growled the Master.
"From you, that means nothing," replied the longhaired man. "This is where you to die."
"You are nothing but meat, human."
Everyone seemed to move at once. The Master leapt into the air, screaming a war cry. His broadsword swung overhead, towards the longhaired man who lunged forward, swinging his sword from right to left. The man to his right slashed his own blade towards the Master.
The demon's broadsword bit into the second man's shoulder. The other man's sword entered the Master under the left arm. The third man's blade pierced the demon's neck opening it up to the elements. Black blood gushed out. The men pushed the body to the floor and the longhaired man spat on the corpse.
The injured man's hand went to his wound and came back black with blood. "I think I need to sit down for a moment." He slumped down, sitting on the Master's body.
"How bad are you hurt, Marcus?" asked the longhaired one.
Lin could see how white Marcus' face was in the moonlight. "The shoulder's not good but it's the stomach that's going to be the killer, Brendan,” said Marcus.
Brendan peered at the wound. “Shit. Why didn't we just let them ride past? We're not supposed to get involved." He pulled some cloth from his bag and began tying strips of it around Marcus' waist.
"I couldn't let them run her down. Besides, they'd have found us eventually. Better to make a stand of it," replied Marcus.
Marcus pulled out a paper cartridge from a pouch on his belt, bit it open and poured something from it down one of his thunder sticks. The others did the same.
"What are those?" Lin asked.
"Pistols. One of God's greatest inventions. Much better loaded than not," replied Brendan. Lin did not want to ask who or what God was but she felt grateful all the same.
The shaven-headed one stared out into the darkness. "I don't think we should stay here much longer. There are two horses and four of us. Not ideal but better than nothing."
"Marcus needs rest, brother," said Brendan.
"I don't have that luxury," said Marcus,
wiping a spot of blood from his lips. "Normally I'd say leave the horses as they’ll leave a trail a blind man can follow but again we don't have much choice. Help me up, Brendan." Struggling to his feet, he turned to Lin. "What's your name, girl?"
Lin stared back at him.
"Can you speak? Do you understand me?" Marcus's voice was firm.
"Y...y...yes." Lin finally replied, still not moving.
"What's your name?"
"Lin."
"It is good to make your acquaintance, Lin. I wish it were under happier circumstances. Hopefully, if God is with us, we will have better days ahead. My name is Marcus, the young one is Jack and the other is Brendan. We come from across the water. Now, can you ride a horse?" said Marcus, indicating the two horses.
"I rode a horse earlier but I...I am no expert," replied Lin.
"You’re going to get plenty of practice tonight said Marcus. “You ride with Jack.” She looked at Jack. He was the youngest of all of them and looked almost as scared as she felt. He smiled awkwardly and climebed up onto the saddle. He then reached down, offering his arm to Lin.
Marcus looked over to Lin. "We must ride fast. So hold on tight to Jack. We’ll be safe if we keep moving. Sunrise is hours away and we’ll have those demons on our tails all the way until then. Do you understand?"
She nodded, not really understanding anything. She grasped Jack’s arm and allowed herself to be pulled up behind him. She wrapped her arms around him, the warmth of his body a welcome relief at least.
Brendan helped Marcus onto the other horse before climbing on behind him.
"Those dogs sound like they are getting closer and you know I hate killing dogs," said Brendan. "Lead on Jack and I'll watch our back, eh?"
"Take care, brother" replied Jack.
"Can you use that sword on your hip, girl?" asked Marcus.
"I've never held one before today."
"Just don’t stab me," said Jack.
He kicked the horse into motion, followed by Marcus and Brendan, picking up their pace as they slipped through the trees. Lin stole glances at the men as they rode. Who were they? Where did they come from? But, for some reason, they were helping her and, for that alone, she was very grateful.
