The Emissary (Dawn of Heroes Book 1)

by H. A. Harvey

  The twigs and brambles in the thicket pricked and tore at Rowan. The pain drug him back into focus slightly. Shirts must have made the same observation, because he grasped Rowan’s wrist and sank his teeth into the meat of his forearm. That brought him around quick. Rowan shook his head to clear the fog. He found that Shirts, Riona, and he stood in the midst of a half-dozen brogan in the mouth of a large tunnel concealed behind the thicket. Down the tunnel, he just caught sight of Wobbly being carried into the black throat of the underground passage. The rest of the brogan stood watching outside through the cover of the thicket in utter stillness. He didn’t need to know much about brogan to see that they were afraid.

  Outside the thicket, Old Paula and David were both still trying to get Tombo to move. He seemed convinced they were trying to steal his horde and kept shoving them away. Then, a shadow swept over the clearing. It was too vast to be any bird Rowan had ever seen, and moved faster than a cloud pushed along a coastal wind. The brogan dropped instantly to the ground in terror. David turned and watched the sky after the shadow and collapsed back onto his heels, then scurried to his feet and bolted toward the thicket. Tombo, who had been cramming as many melons into his mouth as possible, stopped and his eyes traced something across the sky as bits of mashed fruit tumbled from his mouth.

  Rowan tried to dart forward, but Shirts kept hold of him and refused to let him move forward. He called out to Tombo, but his voice was drowned out as a shimmering blue-green mass of scaled wings and tail descended onto the clearing with a rush of hot wind and an impact that shook the walls of the tunnel around them. Rowan at once remembered what he had been doing after burying the mercenary captain. He had been fighting to keep awake and watch for brogan . . . but more importantly for dragons.

  The beast that landed in the clearing was no wingless stone drake. The scaled nightmare was at once a thing of entrancing beauty and unspeakable horror. The thing stood taller than Nian’s tavern at the shoulder, its body was longer than ten horses and each wing seemed like the armor-clad sail of some great ship. Its slender form was supported by four powerful clawed limbs, each talon as long as a knight’s sword. The beast’s long, narrow head, perched upon the end of its serpentine neck reminded Rowan of an enormous, scaled egret, especially with the crown of long, blade-like scales that extended off the back of its skull. More than the creature’s appearance, he could feel its arrival. There was a sensation of raw power that washed over him like nothing he had felt before. The dragon’s presence was a tangible, frightening force like a tidal wave or colossal avalanche.

  The dragon fixed its predatory gaze on Tombo. The poor hampan stood riveted to the ground. Rowan couldn’t imagine the terror of having the creature’s malevolent glare focused upon him. The dragon kept its eyes locked on Tombo’s as it folded its wings against its sides. The dragon’s attack launched with blinding speed. It erupted forward like a striking serpent, the creature’s claws driving it forward with such force that great swaths of earth pitched into the air behind it.

  As the dragon closed on Tombo, he remained frozen in place. Suddenly, the beast swerved sharply to the side as a small ball of dark brown fur flew against the side of its head. Old Paula clung to the ridges along the dragon’s snout and slashed ineffectively at the beast’s armored skull. The break in the dragon’s attention seemed to release Tombo from whatever held him, and the hampan turned and scampered into the woods. The dragon’s distraction lasted only a moment before it reached up with one of its hand-like fore-claws and savagely ripped the brogan from its cheek.

  Rowan tore free of Shirts’ grip as the other brogan erupted from the thicket. The help came too late for Paula, who already lay limp and bloody in the dragon’s grip. The beast gulped down the brogan’s corpse with barely a pause before turning to chase after Tombo. Its momentary delay was enough for the brogan to move between the dragon and its quarry. Rowan was nearly through the thicket when Shirts tackled him to the ground again. He tried to roll to his back and pounded ineffectively on the little creature’s thick skull and densely muscled shoulders. Shirts grappled his way up from Rowan’s waist. The little beast’s compact form, long arms, and incredible strength combined to quickly outmatch Rowan as they tumbled about in the thicket. Before Rowan knew it, Shirts had him pinned about the shoulders. A series of rapid headbutts from the brogan left him senseless. When Rowan came to, he was back inside the tunnel entrance. Riona sitting next to him crying. He sat up sharply.

  “Where is it?” Rowan stood as he asked, peering through the thicket.

  “Gone,” Riona answered. “Some more of the little guys came out of the trees. It killed most of them, except two. It ate the others and carried the last two off still screaming.”

  Rowan gazed out into the clearing. A broad swath of the grass as well as the aspen grove where he had first woken up were burned to ash. The rest of the border where Tombo had disappeared was strewn with blood and splintered timber. He looked around angrily, David sat nearby in the tunnel’s shadows, but there was no sign of any brogan.

  “Where did he go?” Rowan demanded, “The one that stopped me.”

  “Shirts probably saved your life.” David joined in, “You didn’t even have a weapon, and that little guy knocked you out. What were you going to do with fists against that creature that a dozen of these things couldn’t scratch with claws?”

  Rowan turned on David, but stood seething in silence. He couldn’t think of an answer that made any sense. Finally, he took a deep breath and held out his hand.

  “Give me my spear. I’m going to find Tombo.”

  “Wait,” Riona stood and joined them as David passed the fighting lance to Rowan, “They’re not goin’ to let us wander off. Besides, that dragon is still out there.”

  “You said it just ate,” Rowan replied as he started to pick his way through the thicket, “If it’s anything like any other creature, it won’t be hunting now.”

  “That thing was nothing like any other creature I’ve ever heard about.” David argued, following him into the undergrowth. “And Kolel’s map said dragons, not dragon. There could still be more out there.”

  “Look, it doesn’t matter. Tombo’s not a pet, or a pack animal.” Rowan ducked out of the thicket onto the desolated field. “He’s like a brother to me, and he’s out there scared out of his mind. If there are more dragons out there, it’s just one more reason I have to find him first.”

  Riona scuttled out from under the thicket on all fours and stood up, dusting herself off. Both Rowan and David blinked at her in surprise. She looked back at them and smiled.

  “What? You two didn’t notice they have little crawlways? Anyway, I’m coming too.”

  “No you’re not.” David answered at the same time as Rowan.

  “Look, I might not have a mo . . . ape for a brother, but I don’t want him hurt either. Besides, the brogan like Tombo, not us. I figure the longer he’s gone, the more appetizing we look. If we are together, at least there isn’t a tempting snack sitting here doing nothing.”

  David sighed, then nodded. “Tombo saved the lot of us back at Broadstone. We’ll all go together.”

  Rowan nodded and turned to trot into the woods along Tombo’s path. The hampan had been weaving through dense trees, taking to the canopy where he could. It made Tombo hard to track, but Rowan knew his friend well enough that he wouldn’t need to track. Tombo would head for the densest patch of large trees he could. Rowan signaled for the other two to wait and found a tall fir tree and quickly scaled the sheer trunk. Once he made it a good distance above the canopy, Rowan scoured the surrounding woodlands with his gaze. Before long, he found what he was looking for. A thick expanse of ancient mountain ash towered over the rest of the forest a few miles Spireward and stretched far Clockward down the valley for nearly a mile.

  Once back on the ground, Rowan set off Spireward at a jog. David and Riona did an impressive job keeping pace. Riona
had been decently fit when they’d found her, and hardened quickly without complaint or faltering. He was more surprised that David managed to keep up. He hadn’t seemed overly physical when Rowan knew him in Longmyst, and had not been in the best shape when they’d rescued him.

  Rowan was quietly surprised as well that the brogan hadn’t interfered with them by now. The bestial creatures seemed to have made themselves scarce after the dragon attacked. Rowan was relatively sure there were at least a few lingering nearby. They were harder to note than even other wood folk he had known. They moved through the forest with the silent precision of mountain lions, but paired with intellect that was beyond the canniest of predators, spotting them when they wished otherwise was largely beyond even his ken. Still, there were occasional scratching sounds against bark, or movement out of the corner of his eye that were too consistent to be random encounters with forest beasts. Besides, they were making enough noise that most forest creatures would be giving them a wide berth.

  The whole valley was a marvel to Rowan. The deadly inhabitants of the valley also served to protect it from even the bravest of mortal invaders, leaving a vast wilderness, untouched and unchanged for who knows how many ages. Even the aspens near where he’d woken looked to be part of a colony that was likely older than any mortal realm or empire in Creation. Even considering the age of the rest of the forest, the ash grove was ancient.

  They found their brogan hosts again in plain sight. Shirts stood with perhaps a score of his brawnier fellows. The positioning of their little gathering was curious in its own right. It seemed they had tracked or followed Tombo up to this point, but stopped short of entering the grove. They stood shifting nervously at the very outer threshold of the ash canopy. The brogan seemed entirely unwilling to enter the place or even step into its shadow, despite the fact that their newfound deity seemed to have done so. Riona and David seemed to catch a bit of the brogan apprehension, and paused uneasily as Rowan stepped into the sacred circle, his feet sinking to the ankle in the thick layer of detritus that coated the ground. When the brogan looked on disapprovingly, but made no move to stop him, Riona swallowed and followed suit, smiling nervously at Rowan. David took a breath and started forward. At that moment, a wind swept through the upper branches of the ash trees, sending a groaning howl echoing through the silent grove. Somewhere deep in the ancient stand, a branch broke free and punctuated the moan with a thunderous cacophony. David took a step back.

  “Ah, maybe I’ll keep Shirts company.” He laughed nervously.

  “Come on,” Rowan argued impatiently, “It’s just wind. Ash trees are famous for dropping branches, that’s why my people call them widowmakers.”

  David muttered something inaudible and followed. The three of them walked silently between the ancient trunks. Rowan wasn’t frightened, but he was in awe. In this old, pristine forest, this ancient place was like a grand temple or palace. The thick trunks of the powerful trees soared up out of sight, their wide-spread branches crossed this way and that, almost forming tiers of walkways that overlaid each other high into the canopy. The mesh of leaves and branches was so dense that the bright afternoon sunlight above filtered down to an eerie, tranquil sort of twilight. Rowan nearly forgot what they were doing in the grove as he walked along. Then Riona’s hand curled around his and gave a tug.

  “This place . . .” Riona kept her voice low in an almost reverent whisper. “It feels like we’re not alone. Just tell me this is normal for the deep woods, and I’ll be fine.”

  “It’s anything but normal, but I don’t think there’s anything to be afraid of.” Rowan whispered back, “Ash trees get big, but it’s rare to see more than one grow to half the size of any one of these. For these to grow so large, and close, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Um, since we’re talking,” Riona pressed, “I was wondering, about the dragon.”

  “I think you’re asking the wrong person.” Rowan answered honestly, “That was the first one I’ve ever seen. I doubt I know any more than you do about them, less probably, remember Shirts knocked me out.”

  “But you know forests.” Riona answered, “I was wondering about the fire. I’m glad it didn’t, but shouldn’t it have spread?”

  Rowan paused a moment, “Yeah, maybe. I mean, there was a heavy rain recently, so it probably wouldn’t get out of control, but thinking about it, that fire didn’t spread at all. It was almost like there were lines between what was consumed and what was untouched.”

  “Why, do you think?”

  “I don’t know. No natural fire behaves like that.” Rowan replied, “But I don’t think I’ll spend enough time around them to work it out. If I can, I’ll figure a way to creep through this valley without seeing one of them again.”

  Rowan didn’t feel like telling her that he’d seen at least half a dozen winging their way over the canopy elsewhere in the valley. He resolved that his venture above the canopy would be his last. They also needed to keep out of clearings and light spots in the foliage. Rowan had to admit that the grove’s thick canopy and tight spaces might be as much a reason for liking it as the place’s natural majesty. Rowan started calling out for Tombo as he pressed on into the grove.

  As they picked their way through the ash trees, it was hard to tell how much time passed. Rowan’s voice seemed to be soaked up by the trees around them, and little could be heard beside the wind sighing through the upper boughs. It almost made the woods sound like they were filled with people, having quiet conversations just beyond earshot. Despite his awe of the place, Rowan began to share Riona’s evaluation that they weren’t alone in the grove. He couldn’t put his finger on any one thing. In fact, all his hunting senses told him there was nothing out there. There were no noises of creatures moving nearby, but that was even more disconcerting. Ash trees bore sweet fruit in the spring that was coveted by birds, squirrels, almost every creature with a taste for anything besides meat. He could smell the thick, sweet scent of the trees laden with their spring bounty, but not a single creature could be seen or heard scurrying through the boughs to pillage them. He paused and walked over to a spot where water gathered into a small, tranquil pool where he knelt down.

  “There’s no tracks.” Rowan said, mostly to himself.

  “What?” David asked.

  “This water is from the rain a few days ago. It’s clean, there’s no rot smell. A place like this should be like a market square for animals, especially if the brogan don’t come in here. Nothing comes here. The only signs I’ve seen are the occasional footprint from Tombo.”

  “I’m really starting to think we shouldn’t be in here either, Ro.” David replied nervously, “We’re losing the light too.”

  Rowan glowered as he turned back to look at the water. The light was fading quickly, and it was probably already hard for Riona or David to see. Worse, the grove was so dense and they’d turned and looped back on themselves so much that he wasn’t certain that he could find their trail back once night fell. He could see perfectly well by starlight, but the floor of the grove would be like a cave once Phoenix’ light wasn’t shining down any longer. He looked up to try and gauge how long he dared push forward before he had to turn back. His vision was entirely blocked by the large, round face of a brownish-grey simian. Rowan gave a happy cry of surprise just before the pile of fur collapsed on top of him, evoking a scream from one of the others.

  Tombo scooped Rowan up in a hug that nearly cracked his ribs. Rowan was nearly at the limit of holding his breath when the hampan finally released him. His friend was hardly done saying hello, and scrunched faces with him so eagerly that Rowan’s face was dripping with slobber and snot before he finally shook free. Rowan wiped his face with the hem of his cloak with one hand while he scratched between Tombo’s ears with the other.

  “Next time, give up on the melons and come in when you’re told, alright?” Rowan laughed happily.

  Riona and fi
nally David joined in welcoming Tombo back to the group. When Rowan finally managed to calm himself and the hampan down, they all turned back along their trail to leave the grove. Rowan cursed himself inwardly as they made their way back. He’d been misgauging the light coming into the grove, and it was rapidly becoming darker than he would like. Perhaps, in his wish to press further to find Tombo, he’d let himself forget they were sunk into a valley that was, itself, nested within another valley. The day’s light would of course fade early. He gauged they were less than a third of the way back out when the last of the light faded and they were left in total darkness. Rowan stopped short, and Tombo followed suit.

  “What is it?” Riona asked from Tombo’s back. She and David hadn’t been able to see well enough to walk for some time.

  “The light’s gone, all of it.” Rowan grumbled. “I have to climb up to get my bearings.”

  “If you can’t see, won’t you fall?” She countered.

  “There isn’t any real choice.”

  “Yes there is.” David’s voice interrupted. “We settle down and wait until there’s light. Have you noticed it’s not that cold here? If you try climbing and break your neck, Riona and I are finished. We can’t get out of here without you, and the brogan won’t come in.”

  Rowan had to admit that David had a point. He didn’t like the idea of staying in the grove through the night, but his mind added to the spoken reasons for avoiding the climb. His memory decided to remind him that even the small drakes he had seen were as deadly at night or underground as they were in broad daylight. It stood to reason that their more powerful cousins would be no more hindered. He sighed and nodded, then remembered nobody could see him.