‘I have told them to find shelter,’ Arianne revealed, aware that Melia's mare was a trusted companion and that the watch guard had difficulty leaving her to fend for herself.
‘You can talk to horses?’ Melia stared at her with surprise. She knew elves had keen senses and better agility than men but that they could speak to animals she had not known.
‘Not in the way that we speak but they can sense what we wish for them and likewise,’ the queen explained.
With a little smile, Melia leaned close to Serinda and whispered, ‘Tell her nothing.’
Arianne chuckled and then replied, ‘They will find some place to shelter until we have need of them. They will be safe I promise.’
Melia sighed and ran her fingers along the ridge of Serinda’s nose and hoped the mare understood that this abandonment was for her own good. She wrapped the bridle around the pommel of the saddle and turned the animal’s head away from her gently, hoping Serinda would understand the reason for this action. The horse trotted away to join the small herd that were moving away from them at Arianne's instruction.
‘She will find you again,’ Arianne said sympathetically, her hand brushing the watch guard’s shoulder in sympathy when Melia returned to them. ‘I am certain it.’
‘I have no doubt that she will find me,’ Melia whispered. ‘I just hope that she does not wait too long if I am dead. She has been my faithful companion for many years, I would not rest easy even in death to know that she was languishing in wait for my return.’
As much as Celene wanted to say words of similar kindness to Melia, they could not afford to remain in one place too long. Perhaps the wyrms preferred to move by night, explaining the lack of sighting throughout the day or perhaps they were being lead into a trap, whatever the explanation, Celene did not wish to find out the hard way.
The Mountain and the Enemy awaited them.
However, something in the pit of her stomach told her that the Enemy was close. Closer than they any of them imagined.
********
By the time the afternoon was in the sky, they had spent most of the day climbing the steep mountainside, sometimes on their hands and knees and other times helping each other over shelves of rock and across narrow ledges. Their limbs ached and their palms were cut and scratched from the craggy terrain in which they were force to find hand holds. Tempers began to shorten as their exhaustion started to set in and the only consolation they had was the cold did not allow them to swelter beneath their cloaks from physical exertions.
Meanwhile, Melia and Celene kept watch for danger whenever they reached level terrain that was wide enough for a wyrm of size to emerge. So far they had seen nothing of the creatures that had attacked the night before but it was possible that they did not emerge in the day and would reappear when the sun went down. Keira continued to maintain her good cheer and attempted to do the same for her companions. Her unwavering belief that they could succeed in their quest gave heart to all present and once again, Arianne was grateful she had chosen to join them. While Keira was not a great warrior, her lightness of spirit particularly after what had been done to her by the Circle, was a boon to them all.
While she did not speak of it however, Arianne felt something tugging at her consciousness as they journey across the mountain. She could feel its reach pulling her forward and not just her but also the baby inside her. My son feels it too; she thought and that moment of communion between herself and her still forming child, almost brought tears to her eyes. Arianne wanted so much to meet the babe inside her before the Enemy had a chance to steal his life away.
No matter what course I must take, she said caressing her stomach, I will allow nothing to harm you little one.
********
There was a time when all the dead places of Avalyne once teemed with life. Before the Winter Wife rolled the arctic tundra across the landscape to conceal the terrible scars left behind by Mael during the Primordial Wars, the Frozen Mountains was as green and teeming with life as the majestic Baffin. From peak to foothills, she hosted a lusty, green forest that was known to the elves of that time as the Palmiri, because of the magnificent view that wood afforded those who walked its paths.
It bore little resemblance to the place that Arianne, Celene, Keira and Melia now crossed.
Time and war had scarred the mountain and the wood was no more, lost to the ravages of Mael's Primordials. Their terrible power had scorched the mountain, killing every creature that lived in the forest, in the caves and burrowed beneath the dirt. The woods were transformed into a twisted version of itself.
No longer beautiful, the tall, majestic trees had grown wild and instead of standing like stately sentinel overlooking the forest. They became gnarled and twisted, the green leaves having fled sharp, thorny branches that snagged and scratched. Bushes and flowering plants were replaced by brambles and thickets of thorny briars that stretched across the mountain pass they had to cross to reach the other side of the mountain.
‘I suppose that is our path’ Melia sighed as she looked at the sharp, daunting path they had to pass to keep moving forward. Her hand went to her sword knowing the only way across was to hack away the sharp, twisted thicket before them.
‘It is,’ Arianne nodded, sensing now that what she was seeking was on the other side of this dead wood. The nature of the terrain provided the perfect deterrent for someone trying to hide something precious. ‘What I need to find is on the other side of this.’
‘Of course it is,’ Keira retorted, unable to raise any good humour in the face of this latest obstacle.
‘I’ll take the lead,’ Celene stated after taking a deep breath to strengthen her resolve. Unsheathing her sword, she stepped up to the nearest part of the thicket and swung her sword, slashing away at the thorny barbs in her way, the ice and snow on its dead branches scattering as she did so. ‘Arianne and Keira, stay behind me and close. Melia you take the rear.’
I do not always need your protection Celene,’ Arianne grumbled as she fell behind the Lady of Gislaine. It was useless of course. Dare had told her that when it came to the people she cared for, Celene would defend them to her dying breath. Because of their friendship, Arianne knew that Gislaine would do the same to protect not only her but her child. Still, the Queen hated that her condition required others to take up the burden that should have been hers to bear. ‘I can take the rear,’ she offered.
‘You can,’ Melia retorted taking up position behind Keira, ‘but you’re not going to.’
‘I thought I was the queen here,’ Arianne threw the watch guard a look.
‘You are,’ Keira smiled sweetly, ‘and in all other matters you rule, except this one.’
‘Exactly,’ Celene retorted as they began to make slow progress through the briars that lay ahead of them. ‘I have no wish to explain to your husband why I let you get cut to pieces trying to get through this place. So you will stay behind me.’
‘And before me,’ Melia added her voice in. ‘Because your husband is my king and he can behead me if he so feels inclined.’ She was joking of course but they had travelled together for weeks now and had become comfortable enough with each other to take such liberties. Even if Arianne was Queen of Carleon.
‘He would never do that!’ Arianne exclaimed almost laughing.
‘So you say,’ Melia teased. ‘I prefer not to take my chances.’
‘I am more than nine hundred years older than all three of you,’ the queen snorted, ‘what makes you think I cannot protect myself?’
‘Nothing,’ Keira smiled because the tone about the conversation was one of jest, no doubt to add some brevity to the misery of their current endeavour. ‘We’re taught to honour our elders that are why you’re travelling in between us. As the oldest, we’ve got to protect you.’
Both Melia and Celene burst out laughing and Arianne made a face at Keira. ‘I suppose you think that is very funny.’
‘Actually yes,’ Celene replied from the front. ‘Keira’s
reply was far more diplomatic than what I would have elected to say.’
‘Which is?’ Arianne raised a brow at her best friend.
‘That the future King of Carleon is already plagued by too many threats to have to endure the stubbornness of his mother,’ she glanced over her shoulder and gave Arianne a look of pure sarcasm. ‘In other words, stop being a pain, Arianne.’
Melia bit her lip in an effort not to laugh especially when she saw the teasing smirk that stole across Celene's face as she winked at the queen.
‘With friends like you,’ Arianne grumbled. ‘I do not need enemies.’
‘That is true,’ Celene replied casually taking no offense at her remark since this whole conversation was being carried tongue in cheek. ‘You are fortunate indeed.’
‘How does Ronen put up with you?’ The queen asked with mock sarcasm.
‘Oh probably in the same manner as Dare does with you,’ Celene replied promptly.
Melia exchanged a knowing glance with Keira before retorting, ‘I am starting to feel very sorry for both these men.’
********
Their progress was slow.
As they cut their way through the ancient wood, they continued to be assailed by thorns, branches and rocks that seemed to find skin to tear no matter how well they thought they were covered. Celene continued to charge ahead, hacking her way through the barrier until she felt the exhaustion in her bones become almost unbearable. However, she forced herself to continue, refusing to surrender to the weariness she felt. Blinking away the sweat that stung her eyes and refusing to acknowledge the multitude of cuts to her skin, she took comfort in the fact that she was not alone in her misery.
The others were suffering as must as she.
Glancing up at the sky, she saw that night was descending and she knew they would have to think about finding camp soon. However, she saw nothing ahead of them that could serve the purpose and they needed it to be defensible because the wyrms had come from this mountain and they would be seeking them out this night. Without no idea how many of the things they might have to face, Celene was acutely aware of how vulnerable they were at this moment.
She brought down her sword again when suddenly the blade sliced through so easily, she might have been trying to cut parchment. The force of her blow disintegrated the section of her thicket as it completed its arc. It took but a second for Celene to process what she was seeing and immediately stopped short.
‘Everyone be still!’ She ordered.
As they froze in their tracks, Celene scanned the terrain before them and could only see petrified trees, the thicket ahead of them, partially covered in ice and the jagged mountains flanking them on either side. The only way to run was back they came. The thicket itself seemed different, less alive if such a thing as possible and Celene stepped forward again, tapping her sword against the briar and saw it crumble further.
Like brittle glass.
Almost on cue, she heard Arianne speak. ‘We are in danger, something is here.’
‘The thicket is brittle,’ Celene announced, ignoring Arianne's portent of doom because she had already reached that conclusion.
‘We’re in their nest aren’t we?’ Melia said, recognising the characteristics of the ruined towns they had seen earlier.
‘Or very close to it. Draw your swords, if you have not done so already.’ She ordered.
She heard the slide of metal behind her as swords were unsheathed and knew they had to escape the confinement of this thicket if they were going to survive an ambush. Moving through the briar with renewed purpose, this time she was able to shatter them easily because of their frostbitten state.
Celene worked tirelessly; aware that behind her, both Arianne and Keira were grasping their weapons tight, in readiness for attack should it come before left the thicket. Melia was undoubtedly scanning the hills about them for any signs of movement so she could concentrate on what was ahead. Above the blanket of twilight had descended and Celene knew from the tension in Arianne’s face that the creatures were coming. She simply could not bring herself to say it.
Very soon, they reached the other side of the thicket and though they were grateful to have crossed the wood, the shadows that stretched over the hills provided no relief for there were too many places for the wyrms to suddenly come upon them. Then without warning, she heard the familiar sound that preceded the battle the night before, the loud, continuous scraping against the dirt of something dragging itself across the ground.
‘Take my shield,’ Celene said as she handed Arianne the shield she had found no use for until the appearance of the wyrms the night before. Before setting their horses free, she had taken the gift from her father Yalen for this very purpose.
‘You will need it,’ Arianne muttered as Celene thrust the object into her arms.
‘Not as much as you,’ Celene retorted and turned her eyes to the direction of the sound that was closing in on them. ‘Use it Arianne,’ she said firmly. ‘Use it to protect yourself. You carry all our futures within your body; you must protect the child even at cost to us.’
‘Do not ask that of me!’ Arianne cried out in dismay. ‘I would do anything for my child even give up my life but I won’t allow any of you to die for me!’
‘That choice is not yours to make,’ Celene stated firmly, needing Arianne to understand that whatever feelings she had towards her friends, they were a necessary sacrifice if the greater good was to be accomplished. ‘This is for the good of Avalyne.’
‘Can this wait?’ Keira shouted as she looked about her apprehensively at the source of the slithering sound she could hear.
‘There!’ Melia barked, pointing to a crack in the rock concealed by shadows that was much wider than it appeared on first sight.
She had no sooner said those words when the first wyrm made its appearance, its cold breath chilling her face as it slithered quickly towards her, displaying amazing agility for a creature without limbs. She leapt out of its way and landed on the ground to avoid being frozen to death, the jagged rocks on the ground biting painfully into her elbows and her knees. Trading her sword for her crossbow, she held onto the weapon through the painful manoeuvre and though she was certain she had lost more skin in the process, rolled onto her knee and took aim. The bolt from her crossbow struck the creature’s belly and it uttered a gurgling sound of pain.
The creature’s cry attracted the others out of their hiding places and the women soon found themselves surrounded. Melia fired another bolt at the wyrm for it was far from dead. It sidled towards her to exact its revenge. Running forward instead of retreating, she swerved at the last minute and leapt towards a protruding rock. Using her foot to bounce off it, she carried out a minor feat of acrobatics to land behind the beast. Taking advantage of its momentary confusion, she loaded her crossbow and fired another bolt deep into his body and stopped it for good. Unfortunately, just as Melia had taken advantage of the creature’s confusion, the other wyrms took advantage of her distraction and closed in.
‘Melia!’ Celene cried out at seeing the watch guard’s predicament and was already running to her defence. Narrowly avoiding being sideswiped by the tail of another wyrm of a tail, she jumped up and let it pass beneath her, meeting it head on when she touched the ground once more. The creature hissed at her, its fangs bared.
‘Celene! Drop!’ Arianne ordered.
Celene dropped to her haunches without question and looked up just in time to see her shield flying over her head and towards the wyrm. It spun through the air until it met flesh and bone and then still kept going. The wyrm did not even have time to cry out when the shield hit the rock wall behind it with a loud, metallic clang. The wyrm’s reared head tumbled away from its body, spurting blood that Celene scrambled away to avoid. Getting to her feet, she saw Arianne giving her a brief glance of acknowledgement before they turned their attention to Melia who was attempting to fend of the two remaining wyrms.
Arianne came up from behind the two creatu
res and swung her blade in a wide arch over her shoulder, bringing the sword down upon the midsection of the wyrm. She put all her strength into it and drove the blade through its flesh until it came to a halt against the ground. The wyrm writhed in agony, its frantic hissing reaching fever pitch when she split it in half. Suddenly a blast of cold enveloped her body and Arianne felt her senses overload with the biting sensation of ice.
The cold was paralysing and for a moment, she was rooted to the spot unable to move. It penetrated the layers of clothes she wore, made her feel as if the points of a thousand knives were raking across her skin. She felt her bones turn to ice beneath her flesh and her lips began to quiver as the rest of her shook uncontrollably. Through the fog of pain, Arianne heard Celene’s frantic voice calling after her when she somehow ended up on the ground.
‘Arianne!’ She felt Keira’s hand around her arm, dragging off the ground to her feet. The woman of the Green ushered away from the fight, leading her behind some rocks away from the view of the wyrms so she could recover from the cold. Once they were crouched out of sight, Keira started rubbing her arms rigorously to generate heat through friction.
‘I am unhurt,’ Arianne managed to say through her chattering teeth. The cold was unpleasant and her body was racked with shivers but it was not permanent. Even now, she could feel the warmth returning to her limbs as Arianne continued to rub her arm. She could feel the blood flowing through her body as the biting sting against her skin faded away thanks to Keira’s ministration.
‘Did I not tell you that you should have kept the shield?’ Celene joked when as she and Melia found them a short time later.
Around them, the remains of dead wyrms lay against the ground. Arianne knew that they had prevailed against the assault because these wyrms were young and driven by instinct and inexperience. Had any of them encountered the creatures when they were fully grown, none of the women would have been fortunate enough to escape the experience alive. Nevertheless, these wyrms had destroyed whole communities and Arianne did not take the achievement of defeating them lightly.
Avalyne Series 01: The Queen of Carleon Page 23
