The Trials Of Ashbarn ( Book 5)

by Jeff Gunzel

  Jacob’s blank expression didn’t change even as he spoke. “I think our time together has come to an end.” Even his voice was icy and emotionless. “I think it’s best you head back home now.”

  Amoshi held out his hands, the machete hanging loosely between his fingers. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said.” Just looking at Jacob was painful. “I didn’t mean any of that.”

  “Of course you did. You meant every word.” Amoshi tensed as Jacob approached him slowly and deliberately. Jacob reached out and seized the machete, then began to chop at the thick vines blocking his way.

  Amoshi watched while the amateur swiped away in long, looping passes—a sure way to exhaust himself quickly. “All you’re going to do is tire yourself out.” Jacob kept on slashing, ignoring the advice. “Are you listening to me? I said I was sorry.” The swooshing sounds of the blade cutting through vine were his only answer. “You can’t do this without me,” Amoshi insisted, patience fading away like a setting sun. “Damn you, listen to me!”

  Jacob whirled about, machete clutched in his hand. He stopped the blade inches before taking Amoshi’s head off. With cool steel pressed against Amoshi’s neck, a trickle of blood began to flow from the small cut. “Yes,” Jacob rasped, his voice dry but still emotionless. “I heard you, but that doesn’t change the fact.”

  “What fact is that?” asked Amoshi, voice steady and sure, even with sharp steel pressed against him.

  “That I no longer have any use for you.” Jacob sighed, and lowered the machete. “I need you to be completely committed to finding her, and you’ve proven you’re not. You’ve already told me you don’t care what happens to either of us.” Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Apparently I’m just an idiot, and she’s a beast of a woman?”

  “You know I didn’t mea—”

  Jacob raised the blade just a hair. “Oh, but you did, my friend. What if she hadn’t gone through this change—this curse that was forced upon her? What if she were just another girl; would those spiteful words have ever left your mouth?” Amoshi held his gaze a moment longer, then dropped his eyes to the ground. Jacob just shook his head. “Go home,” he repeated.

  There came an explosion of movement. In a flash, Amoshi’s bow was in his hand, arrow notched. He fired at Jacob. It had all happened so fast, Jacob didn’t even have time to blink. The black and yellow projectile blurred past his ear. He heard a blood-curdling shriek from behind. “Get down!” Amoshi shouted, unleashing two more projectiles with lightning speed.

  Jacob hit the dirt, then crawled towards Amoshi. The warrior was now standing still, an arrow notched and ready. Jacob rolled to his back and looked, staff in hand. Three large, furry bodies lay in the grass, each with a red-feathered shaft stuck between their eyes. One was still quivering, but clearly posed no threat. He would be dead within a minute or two. But Amoshi didn’t feel like waiting that long. Another arrow zipped into the beast’s face. The quivering stopped.

  “By the gods,” Jacob whispered.

  “They came up right behind you,” said Amoshi, a little winded from the shock. “I almost didn’t see them in time. Had I waited a heartbeat longer, they would have shredded you.”

  “You saved my life,” Jacob said, getting back to his feet. He strode over to one of the beasts to get a good look. The humanoid cats were enormous, just like Amoshi suspected. Their large bodies were covered in black fur, except one who was light brown. Their heads were like that of a jackal, with long snouts filled with sharp teeth. Their ears were extremely large, far too big to be standing up straight the way they were. It looked odd.

  Jacob grabbed one of the protruding shafts and wiggled it free with a crackling sound, then spun towards Amoshi, holding out the blood-coated tip. He pointed back at one of the corpses with it, still looking at Amoshi. “She has not become one of these things! Do you hear me? She has not! She is— She is still Athel, and—” Jacob was so rattled he could hardly put a single sentence together. He dropped down to his knees, still clutching the bloody arrow. “It can’t be true,” he whispered weakly.

  Amoshi knelt down before him. “Who’s to say what’s truly become of her?” he said softly. “But you and I are going to find out together.” He offered his hand. “The two of us have to keep moving. She is counting on us.” Jacob accepted the offered hand and was hoisted up. Amoshi pointed in the direction where the attack had come from. Much of the obstructing brush had been trampled by the heavy creatures. “That’s the direction they came from, so that’s the way we’re heading. It seems they were kind enough to leave us a path to follow.”

  “I doubt that was their intent,” said Jacob, kicking one across the face. He stepped in to kick it once more, then stopped. An unsettling thought occurred to him. “What if these things are more than just mindless beasts? I mean, we have no way of knowing how intelligent or organized they really are.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” said Amoshi, slinging his white composite bow over his shoulder.

  “What if they’re more organized than we think? I mean, what if this was a scouting party, not just a random encounter? If so...” He waited for Amoshi to catch on.

  “Which means they are aware of when this group left, and are now waiting for them to return,” said Amoshi, suddenly looking rather concerned. He looked Jacob right in the eyes. “This isn’t about you and me anymore. Understand? We must now move faster than ever.” Jacob held his eyes a moment longer, then nodded. “Jacob, we are going to find her.”

  “Of course we are,” said Jacob, determined. Gripping his staff, he marched towards the opening made by the creatures. The damage done to the foliage was severe, far more than Amoshi could have ever hoped to do with his machete alone. All the better for them. They now moved easily through the smashed undergrowth of the forest. Trampled vines crunched beneath their feet. Trees to either side of the path were also badly damaged, some completely broken, leaving nothing but a shredded stump. Others were just gashed deeply by claw marks.

  “I figured they were stronger than us, but I had no idea,” said Amoshi, running his hand across a slashed tree trunk as he passed. “Best not to engage any more if we can avoid it. Let’s just find Athel and get out.”

  The journey went on for some time. Every now and then, the screeching of some sort of wildlife forced them to freeze in place. “It’s just a bird,” seemed to be Amoshi’s answer to every shriek, howl and yelp that they heard.

  Jacob grabbed Amoshi by the shoulder, forcing him to stop. “Wait. Listen.” At first they heard nothing. Even Jacob began to wonder if his own paranoia was getting the best of him, making him hear things. Then he heard it again. It sounded like dogs snarling off in the distance, this time followed up by a sharp howl. “Was that also a bird?”

  “I think not,” said Amoshi dryly. “Follow me, but step only where I do. We must keep our noise to an absolute minimum. And let us pray Nima’s enchantment is still working. For all we know, they’ve already picked up our scent.”

  Amoshi stepped lightly down the premade path, first placing his foot where there was the least amount of vegetation, then allowing his weight to sink into the foothold before stepping again. The skilled tracker was able to move in near silence.

  Jacob couldn’t even begin to match his stealth or pace, but did as he was instructed, placing each foot directly in Amoshi’s prints as he moved along. Because of this, sound was minimal due to the grass and shrubbery already being packed down. While hopping along, Jacob kept his eyes down, more concerned about watching where he stepped than where he was going. Ultimately, he nearly walked into Amoshi’s back.

  Amoshi turned on him angrily. He quickly raised a finger to his lips then pointed off past a line of bushes. When Jacob stretched his neck to peek over the top, his eyes nearly fell from their sockets. He stared in disbelief.

  Dozens of these catlike creatures walked around what looked like some sort of primitive campsite. A low fire smoldered at the center of the camp, giving off a thick, spi
raling cloud of black smoke. The tall creatures walked on their hind legs with their backs slightly hunched. All had similar heads, looking like that of a wild jackal, but their bodies varied greatly. Some had black fur, long and thick. Others had orange fur which was short and fine. Most were large, with sleek muscles twitching beneath their thick hide with each step. But a few were thin and slender. They slinked around timidly, seemingly to avoid the larger ones.

  Large golden masses of hay or straw lay piled up around the perimeter. At first they didn’t understand what those could be. Far too flimsy to offer any sort of protection, they were too visible to be used to conceal the camp. What were they being used for? Were they food supplies? Did the creatures eat hay?

  One of the piles off to the east side began to shake and quiver. They watched in awe as one of the giant cats emerged from underneath it. The muscular beast brushed off a few clinging pieces before joining the others. But he couldn’t have been hiding there all this time, could he? To the north, they got a good look as one of the other cats bent down and brushed aside some of the hay. He pulled up some sort of trap door, then sank down into a hidden hollow. He descended a little more with each step, like walking down a stairway.

  “They live underground,” whispered Amoshi, mesmerized at the sight. “They use the hay to cover the entrances.”

  They watched the cats weave between one another, seeming to walk around in endless circles, pausing only to hiss and show their teeth to any who invaded their space. There looked to be more than a few standoffs going on at once. The irritated cats would lower their upper bodies into a near crouch, then growl and hiss, fur rising along their backs. The brash posturing went on for a few seconds before they went their separate ways.

  “They seem to be very primal in nature,” said Amoshi, fascinated by the display, seeming to forget why they were here in the first place. “I haven’t seen any fights break out yet, but there is still a lot of tension amongst them. A male-dominated culture, I would guess.”

  But Jacob didn’t hear a word he said. His mind was on one thing, and there she was... He could see Athel standing at the far end of the camp. She was not restrained in any way and didn’t appear to be a prisoner. Jacob’s body felt hot; his mouth went dry. “There she is,” he muttered, nearly overcome by emotion.

  “Wait. What? Oh, I see her,” admitted Amoshi before ducking back down. He pulled at Jacob’s shirt, urging him to do the same. But it was no use. Jacob appeared to be in a trance. “Obviously Nima’s enchantment is still working, or we never would have gotten this close. But they still have eyes, you fool! Get down!”

  Alarms were sounding in the back of Jacob’s head. Part of him knew Amoshi was right, that he needed to drop out of sight. In all likelihood, these creatures probably had superior senses compared to most humans. It was nothing short of a miracle they hadn’t detected the two of them already. Yet he continued to ignore Amoshi’s urgent pleas and the continued pulling at his clothes. With her dark hair filled with colored beads, her unusual bright green eyes and lean, muscled physique, Athel looked stunning. She looked beautiful. She looked... She turned, and their eyes met from afar.

  Broken from his trance, Jacob dropped flat to his stomach alongside Amoshi. “I-I think she saw me!” His forehead began to break out in beads of sweat. “What do we do?”

  “Fool!” Amoshi whispered harshly. “Why didn’t you listen to me? Are you trying to get us killed?” Amoshi tried to think. They couldn’t see underneath the thick brush from where they lay, but neither wanted to risk standing up to see if any were coming. “Fool boy!” Amoshi repeated.

  Jacob could feel the heat building under his collar, then working its way into his face. He felt the heavy beating of his own heart. Did the beating of his heart sound as loud as it seemed? Could they hear it? Was it giving them away? He swallowed hard, then feared that might have made too much noise.

  “I’m going to look,” whispered Amoshi, getting up to one knee.

  “Careful now,” answered Jacob, not daring to rise from his flattened position.

  Amoshi cautiously peeked over the bush. The giant cats seemed mostly undisturbed as far as he could tell. They continued to lumber about, the occasional one disappearing beneath one of those yellow stacks. “I think we’re alright,” he groaned, wiping sweat from his temple. “I guess she didn’t see you after all.” He dared to stretch even farther, peeking his head up over the line of bushes. “Did you hear me? You can get up now. Jacob?” Amoshi’s highly tuned senses rose in alarm before ever turning around. Impossible! They didn’t make a sound!

  Amoshi spun hard in a flash. His white bow seemed to sprout from his arm, an arrow notched and ready to take flight. A massive wall of fur crashed into his side, instantly relieving his lungs of air. The black and yellow arrow zipped harmlessly off course, striking a tree several yards away. Pinned to the ground, he struggled against the weight of the beast, but it was no use. Sharp claws slowly sank into his shoulders. Hot, foul air pulsed against his face as the cat’s narrow muzzle came within an inch of his. Warm, sticky drool dripped down around his mouth and cheek, clinging to his face like warm honey.

  In trying to turn away from the foul creature, his eyes met those of his friend. Pinned against the cold ground as well, Jacob’s face was turning blue as the black cat pressed all his weight against his chest. Amoshi watched in horror while it raised its large paw like a hammer and brought it down across Jacob’s face. We were fools to ever come here was the last thought that ran through Amoshi’s head. With a blinding crash, darkness swallowed him.

  Chapter 12

  An icy blast consumed Jacob’s body, forcing his eyes to open. He gasped from the cold and tried to get to his feet, but instead found himself rolling back onto his side, feet and hands bound, held to each other by a single leather cord. After a bit of coughing, he shook fiercely to try and rid himself of the cold water. Jacob’s head throbbed, and his jaw ached from being struck so hard. He was certain it was broken.

  With blurry vision, both from the chilled water and the fact that he wasn’t yet recovered from the knockout blow, he rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. “Who are you? What do you want from me?” he said, inching backward like a caterpillar.

  He blinked a few more times, his vision starting to return. And there she was. Athel stood before him holding an empty wooden bucket. She threw it aside. “Athel?” he whispered, not sure whether or not to trust his eyes. Her clothes were rags, her face covered in dirt. Even her braided hair was a wild, frizzy mess, but it was definitely her. “Athel!” he repeated, this time with more desperation. “Please. You must cut these bonds. We have to get out of here.” She looked at him strangely, tilting her head sideways.

  He scooted on his backside, inching towards her as fast as he could, then stopped at her feet. “Don’t you recognize me? Please, look at me!” he pleaded. She stared at him blankly, expression never changing. “I know you’re still in there,” he growled. “This curse has not taken over your mind. I won’t let it!” He began to thrash about, the leather cords growing tight, cutting into his wrists. Blood started to run between his fingers and over the top of his hands. He didn’t care; he thrashed harder. “I don’t care what it takes. I’ll drag you from here kicking and screaming if I must! I don’t care what anybody says. You’re still in there, and I won’t lose you again. I won’t!”

  A subtle movement to his side distracted him from his tirade. Amoshi was tossed down beside him, hog-tied in a similar fashion. He had been so distracted with Athel, it was only now that he wondered where he was. It was dark, very dark. He was able to see Athel because she was standing right in front of him. But everything around and beyond her was pitch-black. Was it nighttime already? No, he thought. There would be at least some light from the moon and stars, even through cloud cover. Then it hit him. Chills danced up and down his spine. They dragged us underground. We’re in their den!

  Amoshi groaned. He was starting to regain consciousness. Jacob kept an eye
on Athel while trying to rouse Amoshi. He kicked at him a few times, causing his hands to jerk downward with each thrust due to the leather cord. “Amoshi,” he said, giving one last kick. “You’ve got to get up.” Amoshi stirred again, then rolled up onto his knees with another groan. “That’s it. You’re going to be alright.”

  Amoshi’s face was severely swollen. A large lump high on his cheek was split open across the top. The wound was caked with dry blood. His glanced up at Jacob’s face, then lowered his gaze down to the bindings around his feet and hands. He sighed loudly, head wilting down. All the remaining fight in him left with that breath; the solemn look of defeat was etched all over his face. “So this is how it ends,” he said, voice surprisingly clear and strong.

  “Nothing is over yet,” said Jacob, his voice nearly as resolute. “They’ve kept us alive for some reason.”

  Down on all fours, Amoshi turned to face Athel. “So what are you waiting for?” he growled, already resigned to his fate. “Does killing a man down on his knees make you feel like a warrior?” Her lips curled back in a snarl, exposing her silver teeth, which appeared black in the dim light. With a hiss, she slowly rolled her tongue across them. Her cheek quivered as she let out a long, rolling growl, a deep rumble that sounded more like a tiger’s than a human’s.

  “Leave her alone,” said Jacob.

  “Oh, I know why you’re hesitating. You’re just a lowly pet around here. You need permission from the other dogs, don’t you?”

  “I told you to leave her alone!” Jacob threatened a second time. “I won’t tell you again.”