by Cait Ashwood
This is a good thing. Audrey tried to believe that, because it meant that their treatment of Gwyn, however delayed, was better than what she’d dealt with her whole life. Instead, she fought off depression. I can’t fix everything, and I need to get my head straight before we get in there. Once they linked with the Grove, their thoughts would be connected. She doubted Gwyn wanted her pity.
Audrey forced her mind to breakfast that morning. Ace had cooked; they’d had bacon for once. Audrey had rubbed the grease on her finger and let Rowan suckle it off, and his grin of surprise had set them all laughing. Baby giggles cured just about anything, and it was this memory she kept in the forefront of her mind as the ring of Seekers parted and she and Gwyn approached the Grove.
The path was narrow, forcing them to walk single file as they approached. Audrey wanted to hang back, assuming the other woman had far more knowledge than she did, but Gwyn stopped, indicating that Audrey should walk first. Feeling awkward, Audrey took the lead. It’s just because it’s what the Seekers would expect. She tried consoling herself, but it still seemed wrong. Compared to the Chosen, Audrey was a goddess. Compared to Gwyn? She was willing to bet she had a hell of a lot more to learn.
The Grove at Anvilon was a small one, younger than the others Audrey had visited. Anvilon, being nestled in the mountains and specializing in metal production, had little need for fertile soil. The citizens had terraced gardens set up below the main Grove, using the trees to filter the rainwater that flowed down before it reached the budding plants. Audrey didn’t get the same sense of majesty as she did when entering the Grove at, say, Amberfoot, the agricultural capital of the modern world. She closed her eyes anyway, attempting to feel out this young Grove.
When she reopened them, she knew her eyes glowed with a faint green light. Were she not in a Grove, most everything would appear in shades of gray except for plant life. In the Grove, she was surrounded by a plethora of color, only blocked into shades of gray where the taint had taken up residence. These were the areas they needed to cleanse.
Audrey found her way to the father tree, putting her hand reverently on the birch’s bark. She more felt than saw Gwyn come up next to her. The other woman extended a hand, and Audrey took it.
Whoa.
Audrey knew the mind-meld in the Grove would be stronger, but this. This was the first time she’d joined with a woman like herself, and the connection was more intimate than anything she’d managed with the Chosen. Her thoughts weren’t entirely her own anymore; it was like they were a mental collective that thought things through together.
I will show you. The words still had Gwyn’s hesitant cadence and tone, and Audrey communicated her consent.
She saw images of a different Grove, different women, and sensed the taint in all of them; Gwyn included. Audrey had to grit her teeth to keep herself from withdrawing. The taint was lethal; she’d been poisoned with it once and nearly died, despite her blood granting her immunity. The reaction was instinctual, and she fought it tooth and nail. What she was seeing brought up a different problem. Nothing in the Groves could be fabricated; it had to be factual due to the nature of their connection. This was the only irrefutable proof Audrey had that Gwyn had been a taint user. How she was pure of it now, Audrey couldn't say. She’d assumed the half-breed’s condition was genetic, and therefore permanent.
The visions stopped. I don’t know, either.
Perhaps your mother can explain it when we free her. Audrey wouldn't acknowledge it was a big ‘if’ and not a when. The Seeker’s forces were devastated by the attack on the Institute, and they had little manpower left to break into an underground compound and save captives. Destroying it would be easier, but Audrey couldn’t accept the civilian losses.
To work. Gwyn sounded sure, steady.
I’ll follow your lead.
Gwyn didn’t seem as shy in the Grove as she did everywhere else. Here she was sure of herself, confident. One might say calm, even. But instead of leaving her body to let her spirit wander through the Grove, finding and healing injuries, Gwyn had a different tactic.
She placed her other hand on the bark of the father tree, the oldest tree in the Grove. She then merged her energies with those of the tree. Audrey had been told that was a dangerous practice and never attempted it herself, for fear of losing herself in the tree. As she watched Gwyn work, it was evident that, while their energies harmonized, each remained distinct. Cautious, Audrey tried the same.
She knew she’d succeeded when her vision failed her, but that didn't mean she was without information. She was connected to the Grove on a deeper level than before. The roots, branches, limbs, and leaves formed an interconnected network. Gwyn funneled her energy into the father tree, instead of towards specific areas where the taint was the darkest. Letting the Grove direct the healing seemed more exact than Audrey’s flailing attempts. The Grove already had the network; they were providing the gift. Audrey followed Gwyn’s lead, funneling healing energy into the father tree while retaining her link with her fellow Leaf.
You’ve never done this? Gwyn's shock flowed through their connection, but unlike some of the other women Audrey had worked with, there was no hint of condescension.
I was dropped in a Grove and told to heal it. Much of the training I received appears to be false.
It was hard to keep things to yourself through the link, and Gretta’s voice echoed through their minds. “Don’t link to the father tree; that is how you get absorbed, and you may never return to your physical body. Your soul will stay in the Grove for eternity, and we need you out here.”
Audrey felt Gwyn recoiling at the false teachings and did her best to cut off the flow of memories.
You can be so much more. Gwyn’s quiet assurance was a balm to the well of insecurity Audrey fought daily.
The Grove came to life around them. Sap flowed freely through previously blocked channels. Instead of having to purify the soil separately, as she had been doing, Audrey could funnel power to the trees, who removed the taint on their own and used the Leaf’s energy to cleanse themselves afterward.
This is much more efficient. Audrey couldn't believe what they were accomplishing. The improvement over her earlier efforts was so drastic that she could see herself as the bumbling idiot she’d been before.
Gwyn radiated approval. The Groves know themselves best.
A wash of embarrassed humor flowed over Audrey. You must have thought me an infant when I began the growth of the apple tree in your cell.
Gwyn’s energy soured. I thought you were attempting to trick me.
Audrey withdrew somewhat. Oh, no, that was never my intention.
It took a few moments, but the air between them cleared. I can see that, now. You needed to be shown the way.
Audrey’s relief was tangible. Thank you. She wasn’t sure she'd ever return to her old method. She’d thought Gwyn’s display while imprisoned, taking the apple sapling and accelerating its growth so that it slammed into the roof of her cell, was a show of force. Now, she could see that it would be a natural reaction to the energy either woman possessed.
Gwyn’s energy began to taper off. She wasn’t in superb physical condition due to her captivity. The strain of nursing twins and recovering from her pregnancy meant that Audrey was tiring faster than usual as well.
We are done here.
Audrey couldn’t help her disappointment. Traces of the taint remained in the Grove.
I am tired, Audrey.
Of course. She forced herself to quit whining. Anvilon hardly relied on their Grove like other cities did, and so this cleansing would be all they needed for some time. Audrey withdrew from the father tree, the music of the Grove fading as she brought her essence back into herself.
Audrey coughed, eyelids fluttering open. She and Gwyn remained alone in the Grove, and for that she was thankful. If the Seekers had broken protocol and invaded their sacred space, she would have had quite a few choice words for them.
Gwyn came to next
to her, wobbling. Audrey braced Gwyn’s forearm with her own until the woman steadied, then looked through the trees.
“I should probably head out first. I don’t want the Seekers to think-”
“That I’m running away.” The words had a bitter bite.
Audrey’s face fell. “I’m doing everything I can to improve your treatment, but I—”
“It has improved.” The words were clipped. Gwyn sighed. “One day, I want to know what freedom tastes like.”
Audrey’s heart broke for her. While she was no longer behind bars at the Institute, she was far from free. Her movements were limited to the library tower, and armed guards accompanied her if she ever left the tower, say, to go to the cafeteria, or the small courtyard Audrey had so enjoyed during her time there. In over a year, this was the first time she’d been outside the walls.
Slowly, she smiled. “I may not be able to give you true freedom, but I could ask to mingle with the townsfolk. That was an integral part of our work when I was in training.”
Gwyn scoffed. “More people is the last thing I need right now.”
Audrey frowned, shoulders slumping. “All right then. We can go.”
“Audrey, I—” Gwyn stopped, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I wouldn’t know what to say to them.”
Audrey forced a smile. “Maybe I can convince them to release you to my custody for a day. You could meet the twins, have some fresh air.” She wasn’t sure Tops would go for it right away, but she could work on him.
Gwyn’s smile was forced, but she was attempting to be more social. “I’d like that. I miss my Launa.”
Audrey turned away and began walking out of the Grove. She’d never asked Gwyn if she had children trapped in that underground hell, but now it was clear that she did. She couldn’t imagine a forced separation from either of her children; the pain was too great.
Audrey led them out of the Grove and back within the circle of protective Seekers. They said nothing else to each other, and they didn’t have to. Tops picked up on their mood and returned them to the Institute. Audrey couldn’t stand the place; there were too many reminders of the lives that were lost there. She had babies to snuggle extra hard when she got home, and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on them again.
3
I’m not as young as I used to be. Zeche shifted position for probably the fifth time in the last ten minutes, his bones aching in the cold night air. Next to the assassin, Hound remained still, staring intently into the darkness. Both men had their bellies to the ground and were perched on the edge of a small cliff, looking down at a juncture of roads below them.
A month ago, Zeche had plastered the Ravens along nearly every highway, anywhere trade caravans might travel. When hunting for an enemy, sometimes it was easiest to trace him by his supplies. They’d eliminated a lot of places, and the last two potential leads hadn’t panned out. If Zeche believed in luck, this stakeout would be lucky number three. There was a solid enough chance of success that he’d invited Hound along. The tainted Seeker was on their side, and that was unique. Hound hadn’t said anything, but Ace had made an off-hand comment about Audrey coming up with a form of protection to keep him from being controlled against his will again. With the prey they were stalking tonight, Zeche hoped to hell the damned thing worked.
Gwyn, the half-breed-that-wasn’t, had divulged quite a bit of information; the most shocking of which being that the Order of the Leaf still existed. Barely, and much changed after forced breeding with tainted Seekers, but it existed. The women, between thirty and forty in all, were trapped in an underground complex, forced to do the bidding of others to keep their loved ones alive. With the Seekers at an all-time low for manpower, and with none of them trained in the darker arts, Zeche had taken on the challenge of finding the Leaves' prison. After all, what was the point of being one of the leaders of a guild of spies and assassins if you didn’t get to shove the tedious work off on the underlings?
“There’s movement.”
Hound’s voice drew Zeche back into the present and he squinted his eyes, thankful for the keen night vision that had served him well his entire life. “Aye.” He could see them; four men that emerged from cover nearby.
Right on schedule, a heavily laden cart came lumbering down the road, playing hide and seek in the nearby hills. The horses apparently knew the drill because they closer they got to the rendezvous point, the more nervous they became. Straining his ears, Zeche could hear them snorting. Bringing the carriage to a stop, they pawed at the ground, ears pinned back against their heads.
The driver hopped down amid more movement in the brush, unhitching the horses. Another man emerged from the shadows, leading two less elegant creatures forward; mules, most likely. The exchange went off without a hitch, the driver swinging himself up on the back of one of his horses and kicking the beast into a canter, not once looking back as he abandoned the wagon with its new owners.
The men on the ground waited until the driver was long out of sight before even hitching up their team. Several of the men glanced about nervously, but none of them turned their eyes to the ridge where Zeche and Hound lay, barely breathing as they watched every move.
One of the mules spooked at something, braying loudly into the night. Zeche used the noise as a cover, leaning in to whisper in Hound’s ear. “I hope you’re good at keeping quiet.” Tailing them was going to be difficult, but it was their best chance at discovering the location of the hideout. The road the men below were taking was a well-traveled one, and unless Zeche could determine where they pulled off the road, there would be no way to track them later.
Zeche could only tell Hound was grinning by the moonlight reflecting off his teeth. “I don’t even have to move, remember?”
Zeche gritted his teeth. Of course. Hound could phase them to various points along the way. They wouldn’t even have to stretch their legs. Well, that takes all the fun out of it. Zeche rather enjoyed the high he got while on a tail. The risk of exposure, the application of skill, all the possible revealing factors running through his head each moment, keeping a running dialog of his risk assessment. This, however, seemed like it was going to be a boring night in comparison.
“Are they tainted?” The message this time was conveyed in hand signals.
Hound turned his attention back towards the men, closing his eyes. A few moments later, he was nodding slowly.
This is good. Boring, but good. There was no guarantee the men would lead them directly to the compound, but either way, they were going to have a lot more information about their enemy after tonight.
The men below took their time getting the mules hitched, but Zeche and Hound were past the age of youth where waiting tried their patience. Both watched silently, not even stirring as the team finally started moving, the cart groaning. Several of the men they were observing phased off, the transfer handled. Likely, they were keeping an eye on the departing merchant. Things were going to be a bit more complicated for them, as they’d have to maintain a position between the two groups.
When the team was almost out of sight, Hound finally broke the silence. “How well do you think the beasts hear?”
Zeche grunted noncommittally. He’d never bothered to test the hearing of a mule.
Hound blew his breath out, making a frustrated sound. Zeche didn’t have much warning before the Seeker phased them away. The men slammed into the ground, the drop seeming farther than the ‘few inches’ Hound had promised during their earlier briefing.
“Damned idiot.” Zeche panted the words out when he got his breath back.
Hound crawled closer to the ledge, intent on finding the wagon again. “That’s why you never see us phase while prone.”
Zeche had some rather choice words for the surly Seeker, but kept them to himself. Stakeouts were not the time to get into debates, after all. He crawled forward on his belly instead, once again next to Hound. The lay of the land here was unique, the cliffs not actual cliffs, but more ledges around
twenty feet high. What had shaped the ground here, they weren’t sure, as it had long since been covered over by dirt and grasses. Ruins of the old world weren’t exactly common, but sometimes they still managed to create unique landscapes. Depending on how far their wagon traveled, however, they might lose the convenient shelter of the ledges. Zeche hoped it didn’t come to that. Even with the Seeker, it would be harder to keep track of a wagon in the night without the advantage of height.
Hound phased them twice more before they were at the limit of the ledges. It was still a few hours until dawn and Zeche was getting grumpier by the minute. “We’re going to have to wait till daybreak and track them the old-fashioned way.”
Hound was silent next to him.
“May as well head back.” Zeche’s sigh was defeated.
“Not necessarily.” The enemy was far enough away that Hound could speak normally, his grating voice sounding like the tumble of rocks down a mountainside.
“You have a better idea?” Zeche rose from his prone position, stretching his back like a cat and groaning softly.
Hound chuckled, a rare expression from the serious man. “I have a few tricks of my own.”
Zeche blinked. “What did I miss?” The only reason for Hound to be smug was if he’d snuck something past Zeche. It had become something of a competition between the two of them.
“You told me where the wagon was departing from. I put a special passenger on board.” Hound reached into his pocket and removed a small gold tab, handing it to Zeche.
Zeche observed the piece of metal, not finding it particularly revealing. He swallowed back his frustration. Hound deserved some patience somewhere in his life, after what their enemy had done to him. I’m just glad Audrey had the foresight to see how he could be useful.
“Its mate is on the underside of that wagon.” Hound took the tab back, shoving it in his pocket.
