*
‘Uki! Uki!’ Paws were patting his face. He looked up to see the wide blue sky, then the faces of Jori and Kree looking down on him.
‘Urrrgh,’ he managed to say. It felt like someone had dropped a rock on his head.
‘What happened? Did you find the spirit?’
Jori helped him sit up. His head was still spinning but the feeling was wearing off now. ‘I found Valkus,’ he said. ‘He’s in the city, I think. He’s got someone to fight against.’
‘It’s begun then,’ said Jori. ‘We’re too late.’
‘There’s something else,’ said Uki. ‘Over in the woods there.’
‘What?’ Jori asked. ‘Another spirit? I thought they went off to the south?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Uki said. ‘I think it’s different.’
‘What was all the screaming?’ Kree asked. ‘You sounded terrified!’
‘I saw that thing again,’ Uki said. ‘The one that’s following us. I don’t know why, but every time I try and connect with the spirits we’re after, I form a link with it as well. I can even see through its eyes. It was in Nether, hurting the smith, making her talk … about us, I expect. Maybe Nurg’s brothers too.’
‘And you’re sure it’s not from the prison, like the others?’ Jori asked.
‘No,’ Uki shook his head, trying to find words that explained how he felt. ‘It’s old and powerful like them, but it’s not one of those that Iffrit was guarding. I don’t have any memories of it like I do the others. But, for some reason, there’s a connection. I can’t really explain … I just feel it seeking us, hunting us …’
‘And it’s still on our trail,’ said Jori, her face grim.
‘Yes, but two days behind at least,’ said Kree. ‘They still have to cross the plains and they won’t make such good time as we did.’
‘We should still make haste,’ said Jori. ‘We need to get to this Valkus before he causes any serious damage.’
‘What about the thing in the woods?’ Uki said. ‘I think we should see what it is first.’
‘Whatever you say, fearless leader,’ said Kree, helping him to his feet. Despite his throbbing head, Uki laughed, and they set off into the trees.
*
Woodland covered the slopes that led down from the plains. Unlike the tangled mass of brambles and bare, sharp branches that made up Icebark Forest, this place seemed green and gentle. Oaks, hazels and beeches, with mossy trunks and weaving roots. Birds sang, butterflies flitted and primroses gleamed in the patches of sunlight.
‘Over here, I think,’ Uki said, leading them along a worn path in between the trees. He followed the ghost trace like a hound tracking a scent. It kept blinking in and out, but if he concentrated, he could just about feel it.
When they reached the edge of a clearing filled with daffodils, he stopped. ‘It’s in there, somewhere,’ he said. Jori drew her sword. Kree tied Mooka to a tree, then pulled a little copper knife from her belt. Uki wondered if he should have a weapon, and then he remembered the spears on his back. He pulled one out, not really sure what he would do with it if there was trouble, but at least he didn’t feel left out.
‘Do we charge in screaming?’ Kree asked. ‘Because I have a really good battle cry. I’ve never actually had to use it, but it’s really scary.’
‘No battle cries,’ said Jori, pretending to ignore Kree sticking her tongue out. ‘Surprise is a better weapon than a sword. Do you think it’s dangerous, Uki?’
Uki tried harder to sense … whatever it was. It was difficult to describe what he was feeling: something similar to the memories he had of Valkus, but much, much weaker. ‘I don’t think so,’ he said, hoping he was right.
‘Come on, then,’ said Jori. She tiptoed into the clearing and the others followed her.
Daffodils were everywhere and the air was thick with the sweet smell of pollen. Bees bumbled to and fro, droning noisily. At first, they thought the clearing was empty, but then they spotted a hunched shape in the middle. It looked like a rabbit, draped in a cloak.
‘Quietly, now,’ Jori whispered, moving closer, brushing through the daffodils. Uki gripped his spear tighter.
When they were a few steps away, they could clearly see it was a rabbit. A young male with sandy brown fur and a tufty beard. He was huddled under a blanket, staring blankly out at them. His mouth was half open and his chin-fur wet with dribble. He’s in some kind of trance, Uki thought. But why is there a hint of Valkus about him?
‘Hello?’ Jori said. ‘Are you hurt?’
Kree suddenly shouted, making everyone except the dazed rabbit jump out of their skins. ‘I know him! That’s Nurg’s brother! From Nether. One of the missing rabbits!’
Uki gasped. ‘That explains why he feels like Valkus! The spirit must have been a part of him. Like Iffrit is with me!’
‘But Iffrit never made you walk all the way across the plains,’ said Jori. ‘And you don’t sit around like a stuffed cabbage, dribbling on yourself.’
‘Maybe the evil spirits did something different,’ Uki said. ‘Maybe they took control of those rabbits. Made them do what they wanted.’
‘Do you think Iffy-whatsit could have done that to you?’ Kree asked. She poked at his head with a finger, as if Iffrit was curled up in there, like a caterpillar in a cocoon.
Uki pushed her paw away. ‘Possibly,’ he said. ‘I guess he was too nice to try it. Look what’s happened to this rabbit.’
‘So the spirit has left him,’ said Jori. ‘And gone down to the cities. Why would it do that?’
‘It’s used him up, poor thing,’ said Kree. ‘Look at the state of him.’ They peeked under the cloak and saw that the rabbit was just skin and bones. His feet were rubbed hairless and raw, with blisters from walking so far without rest.
‘It’s gone to find someone more powerful,’ said Uki. He couldn’t say exactly how he knew that, but he did. There were memories of Valkus in his head now that let him know exactly how that creature would think. ‘Someone he can use to start a war.’
‘Then we had better hurry,’ said Jori. ‘If the cities start fighting each other, it will be a disaster.’
‘What about Nurg’s brother?’ Uki said. ‘Should we bring him with us?’
Jori shrugged. ‘Do you think he’ll recover? Or will he always be like this?’
Uki didn’t know. The trace of Valkus was weak and still fading. Perhaps when it was gone, the rabbit’s mind would bounce back. He hadn’t been under the spell of Valkus for long. The damage can’t have been too bad.
‘I think he’ll be fine,’ he said in the end. ‘Whatever happened to him, it’s wearing off now. I guess it’ll be like waking up and finding yourself somewhere strange.’
‘He’s a grown rabbit,’ Jori said. ‘He’ll be able to find his way home. Or he could go down to the cities like us – make a new life for himself.’
Even so, they decided to leave some food and a waterskin for him. It was the least they could do. In fact, as they left him in his beautiful clearing amongst the flowers, Uki felt a little jealous. Nurg’s brother’s troubles were over, while Uki was about to head into the unknown again. A city full of rabbits, an evil creature to capture, and something hideous on his trail.
Necripha, he thought. Whatever you are, I hope I never meet you.
*
The outcasts carried on walking, down the slope and on until the trees parted, revealing the twin cities of Nys and Syn below them. Both Uki and Kree stopped dead in their tracks, neither of them having seen anything bigger than Nether before.
The river they had been following all afternoon wound down from the plains, widening and flowing to the sea in the distance. A sparkling line of blue all across the horizon. Before it got there, it cut through the middle of a vast, circular wall of wood and stone many times taller than a rabbit. The wall itself was ringed by a complicated series of mounds, ditches and defences. It looked like a maze built by someone who liked wooden spikes a bit too much.
‘There you go,’ said Jori. ‘The twin cities of Syn and Nys.’
‘Which is which?’ asked Uki when his voice decided to work again. ‘It all looks like one place to me.’
Jori laughed. ‘It is really, to be honest. Kether knows why they insist on calling it two different names.’
‘I have never seen it,’ said Kree, ‘but I have heard the tale. It was one place when it was first built. Two brothers – twins – named Syn and Nys found the spot. They led their tribe here and built a beautiful town. But then they fell out – over a girl, I think – and there was a fierce quarrel. Each built a fort on either side of the river, and their tribe split, too. For many years there was fighting, until they grew old and realised it had all been a stupid waste of time. Since then, there has been peace, and the two forts grew until eventually they joined into one big city.’
‘I have heard a similar tale,’ said Jori. ‘Except the quarrel was over who was the best at fishing. I suppose there is some truth in it. Certainly both sides still have a strong rivalry against each other. Look at the flags.’
Uki peered closer and spotted many pennants flying from the watchtowers that lined the city walls. On the near side of the river they were black with a white ring in the middle; on the far side they were white with a black ring. There were lots and lots of them, as if it was some kind of competition: who can be the proudest of their city?
Uki rubbed his head, which was still throbbing from his vision. ‘I imagine it won’t take much for Valkus to start the old quarrels up again. He just has to find the right rabbit and give it a push …’
‘That’s right,’ said Jori. ‘Each city has its own mayor, each with their own soldiers. Both sides think they are the best. I’ve only been here a few times but I always get sick of all the rivalry and boasting. Valkus will find it easy to start a fight. We have to capture him quickly.’
Kree groaned. ‘But that place is massive. There could be a thousand rabbits in there! How will he know where to look?’
‘Uki can sense the spirit, remember?’ Jori said. ‘And I expect it will have chosen someone powerful. Someone close to either of the mayors … maybe the mayors themselves.’
As soon as Uki heard it, he knew Jori was right. That was exactly what Valkus would do. It was as if he knew the creature like an old enemy.
‘What’s our plan, then?’ he said. ‘Go in and start walking around until I can track it down?’
‘That might take a long time,’ said Jori. ‘But I have an idea where we can start. My clan have a house in Nys. We are the furthest clan north in the whole of Hulstland, so the Emperor trusts us to be his eyes and ears here. I am hoping word hasn’t got to them about me yet. It’s a gamble, but if they don’t know, I might be able to use them to help us. What do you think?’
She looked at Uki, who was caught off guard for a moment. He expected Jori to be the one making all the decisions. What did he know about this world of clans and cities? In the end he just shrugged.
‘If you think it’s safe,’ he said. ‘Don’t put yourself in danger. I …’ He was about to say, ‘I don’t want anything to happen to you,’ but decided it would sound silly, needy. He blushed instead.
Jori didn’t seem to notice. ‘Let’s hope they haven’t sent word by sparrow.’
Watching the skies for fluttering message birds, they made their way down to the road that led into Nys.
*
As they walked along, the city seemed to get bigger and bigger. Uki couldn’t imagine how many rabbits it would take to build those walls, how much time they’d have to spend.
They passed rabbits working in the fields: planting and sowing, digging up weeds, ploughing the earth with teams of rats. It made Uki wonder just how much food a city must need. Back in his village, they all just foraged for what they wanted. Winters were hard – sometimes he and his mother nearly starved …
Mother … He realised he hadn’t thought of her properly for the past two days and felt a wave of guilt. What would she make of this place? It had always been her dream to leave the Ice Wastes and come somewhere like this. I wish you were here, he silently told her. I wish it more than anything.
He felt a paw on his shoulder and looked up to see Jori. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I know it looks big, but you’ll soon get used to it.’
She had mistaken his grief for fear about Nys, he realised. Not that he wasn’t scared. How were you supposed to act in a place like that? What would all the sophisticated city rabbits make of his patchwork fur or his scruffy clothes?
‘I’ll never get used to this place,’ said Kree. ‘Fenced in on all sides, walls and buildings blocking the view … The sooner we’re back in the wide open, the better for me.’
The road led up to a tall gatehouse. Guards in black-leather armour stood on either side. More walked along a parapet above the gate and there were others at the top of watchtowers. So many soldiers. Could one of those be controlled by Valkus right now, just waiting for the right chance to throw his spear?
Uki half expected the guards to stop them at the gates, telling them that demons and savages weren’t allowed in. Instead, they barely blinked as they marched through behind Jori, who held her head high with her usual confidence.
Inside the city there were rows and rows of buildings. They lined the road, squashed in against one another. The slope down to the river was a mass of clustered rooftops, smoking chimneys making a haze that hung over it all like a bank of fog. Unlike the simple stone huts of Nether, each house had two or more storeys and were made of thick oak frames, with whitewashed plaster in between. Some even had glass windows. Others had colourful shutters thrown open to let in the spring sunshine.
Signs hung from the front of shops, painted with pictures of the goods within. Uki saw a carved carrot, several boots and hats, crossed swords, scissors and bottles of potion. Rabbits bustled everywhere, in and out of doorways, shouting out their wares, leading carts and wagons up and down the road. More rabbits than he had ever seen in one place before. More rabbits than he’d thought there could be in the whole world. His head began to spin with it all.
‘This is the main street,’ said Jori. She had to shout over the noise of traffic and voices. ‘It’s where all the shops and inns are.’
‘Why are there so many rabbits?’ Kree asked. She was clutching Mooka’s lead rope very tightly and huddling up against him. ‘Why are the buildings so big?’
Jori just flicked her ears. ‘I guess they just started out as huts and then went upwards. The soil here is soft enough to burrow, but the rabbits that came here were from the plains and places like Nether and Chillwater. They were used to building homes on rocky ground, so that’s what they did. Old habits are hard to break.’
Uki saw roads leading off the main street. They looked quieter, with buildings spaced further apart. At the end of one was a huge mound, on top of which perched a walled fortress that flew at least ten of the black Nys banners. He nudged Jori and pointed it out. ‘What’s that?’
‘Ah. That’s the mayor’s fort. It would be a good place to start looking, but it will be tricky to get inside unless we have some important business with the mayor.’
Dodging carts and rabbits, they made their way down the street. It carried on, more or less straight, all the way to the river where Uki could see the boats tied up at the docks. Big, ungainly, bobbing things with spindly masts and ropes everywhere. His mother had told him about them but he’d never seen one. They didn’t look like something that should float, let alone travel out to sea. He thought back to the stream by his hut and the little pieces of wood he used to float there, pretending they were ships. It a
ll seemed so long ago now, so far away …
‘Here we are.’ Jori broke his daydreaming, halting them by a tall, narrow building. The bottom storey was made of stone blocks, the top of timber and plaster. It looked dark inside. The windows were blank, framed by black-painted shutters. A sign in the shape of a coiled snake hung over the doorway, matching the clasp of Jori’s cloak, and the door knocker was the head of a fanged serpent.
‘I think I’m going to wait outside with Mooka,’ Kree said. ‘This place looks a bit creepy.’
Uki was tempted to join her, but he could see the look in Jori’s eyes. Her ears were flat against her head: this was a big risk for her, he realised. She had no way of knowing if the rabbits inside would welcome her or imprison her.
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ he asked. ‘We don’t have to. We can probably find Valkus on our own. Your clan don’t even have to know you’re here.’
Jori swallowed, took a deep breath. ‘No,’ she said at last. ‘This will make things easier for us. And I know the rabbit in charge here. He’s my cousin. In fact,’ she added, ‘he’s the only one of my whole family that was ever nice to me.’
Uki didn’t know what to say. Jori’s clan was obviously completely different to anything he had experienced. They had very strange taste in decoration for a start. He felt bad about her taking such a risk just for him, but she seemed to have made her mind up. And firmly too. In the end, he just put a paw on her arm, then followed her as she opened the door and stepped inside.
*
It was dark in the clan house. Dark and quiet – such a contrast compared to the bustle of the street outside.
They found themselves standing in a hallway. The floor was tiled in grey-and-black squares, and tapestries hung on the walls. One showed a rabbit next to a patch of mushrooms, clutching its stomach and dying. The other had a huge snake, fangs about to sink into a terrified mouse. For the second time Uki wished he’d waited outside with Kree.
Jori grabbed hold of a piece of dangling rope and pulled it. Somewhere in the house a bell jingled, closely followed by shuffling footsteps. A hunched old rabbit with a straggly beard and milky grey eyes appeared at the other end of the hall, dressed in an outfit of black velvet.
Uki and the Outcasts Page 12
