“Cat? What cat?” he groaned as he tried and failed to sit up again; he was drained.
Merlin ignored the question as he checked Willow’s pulse. “Her heart is strong. She sleeps but I think she’ll be fine. Your love is powerful, enough for her to turn from Hades grasp and deny the Dark God another soul to feast on.”
“You’re talking in riddles again,” he remarked and felt a bit stronger as his spirits lifted. She was going to live!
“Actually, I thought that was pretty straight forward,” the mage commented dryly.
“Hades?” Kylee inquired, eyebrows raised. She had managed to sit up and was inspecting the fang marks on Willow’s hand. It was still swollen, but the black streaks were gone.
He sat up as well, then lovingly reached over and stroked Willow’s hair. It had been close. His heart ached at the thought of losing her. How would he survive? If she had died—he looked at the cliff to the right and imagined throwing himself off of it.
“The God of the Underworld. The reason Tristan’s people put coins on the eyes of their dead is to pay the ferryman to convey their souls across the River Styx,” Merlin explained.
“Bunch of rubbish,” Kylee muttered, shaking her head in disapproval.
Merlin grinned weakly. “Who’s to say? That’s one adventure that I long for but will be a very long time coming. Anyways, the Phoenix failed, and I hope that vile witch is killing more of her minions with her rage.”
“How does she keep finding us? I thought you were shielding us from her sight?” he interrogated the older man; pissed that once again one of them had come close to death. The whole reason he had come along was that it was supposed to be safer with the mage; not constantly fighting Death off with a stick.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Merlin confessed, face twisted with confusion. “How would she know we’d be here?” The mage looked around the glen, then his face went cold. “Prince of Lancaster, where is your Guardian?”
Startled, he turned to look for Preik. He’d been by their side all afternoon. He was so used to them melting into shadows that it never crossed his mind that he should be there beside them. The cliff side was small; there weren’t any trees and no places to hide. So, where the hell was the elven Guardian? Heart hammering in his chest, he set Willow’s head down gently and leapt to his feet. What the hell’s going on?
IV
Reyna had no choice but to hide in the shadows and watch as a large contingent of goblins turned towards the path that wound its way up the mountain side.
Half an hour had passed since Jared’s warning and they had barely enough time to gather up their gear and stash the horses before the first goblin arrived. Over seventy in number, they were being pushed up the trail by a goblin that bore a crown and wielded a crystal staff. There were too many for the three of them to take, and dread filled her heart as she watched them get cut off from the other members of their party; unable to give warning nor assist in their rescue.
They weren’t checking for tracks, or the beasts would have found theirs, she hadn’t had time to mask traces of their passing before having to hide in the treeline. How did they know where to go? There had to be a traitor in their midst; that was the only answer. What black-hearted son of a bitch—
“We hae tae warn them,” Token whispered, and she nearly backhanded the dwarf.
He looked at her face and realized his mistake; instantly clamping his mouth shut. Just because they weren’t looking, didn’t mean they wouldn’t investigate if they were heard. She glanced at her brother and saw a grim look on his face.
There’s too many, his voice spoke within her head and she sighed in resignation. There was nothing they could do.
Can you keep them from finding us? she returned.
Jared nodded, and she felt her concerns ease up a bit. There’s no way they’ll survive this, the boy told his twin sister.
She had spent a large part of her life with these creatures, she knew what they were capable of. Such a large group had to have been sent there with a purpose. They had broken away from the army and marched a long distance in the opposite direction of Lancaster; they knew they were there. Her brother nodded once more; he had come to the same conclusion. She shrugged her shoulders as if to ask who, but Jared remained silent. Either he didn’t know, or he didn’t want to say.
Kore grieved over killing that patrol. Do you think he’s still working for his former master? she sent his way.
The boy contemplated before answering. He didn’t care about the goblins. His only grief was for the orc he killed. It’s not the same as you killing a human commander of an enemy army. He has set himself against you and it’s kill or be killed. It’s not the same with the orcs. They are slaves. Kore has broken his chains and only wished to do the same for his kin. What he couldn’t comprehend was that orc commander loved his job, enjoyed butchering people, and would never leave even if granted his freedom. The killing of his kinsman hurt Kore, but it also increased his resolve to see his people freed. No, he would never betray us to the Phoenix. It isn’t Tristan or Willow either. Their love for each other is the purest I’ve ever felt. They are innocents swept up by evil events. That just leaves the Guardians or Kylee. And I don’t see that ranger bowing to anyone. She’d gut them long before taking a knee, he finished.
The last of the goblins were disappearing from view and the dwarf beside her grunted with dissatisfaction. “Ye hud best be stayin’ it ay mah heed, son,” Token growled softly, jabbing his temple with a fat finger.
“I wouldn’t get near that even if someone offered me my sight in exchange,” her brother sneered.
“Guid choice,” Token snipped, fingering the head of his axe. “Noo, wa dornt ye tois try talkin’ it lood; it’s rude tae speculate abit traitors an’ nae invite me tae join in. Yoo’d hink ye suspected me.”
Reyna glared at the short fat stinking pile of—
“You weren’t with us when we met Tristan and Willow, or when the crows attacked my sister by the lake,” Jared cut in.
“Neither were the Guardians,” Reyna returned, scowling at being interrupted.
“Yes, but if Kylee was working for the Phoenix, then why not let the crow hear the entire conversation? Why kill it? I hadn’t sensed it, and no one would have even known it was there. She nearly died fighting that flock by the lake,” Jared ventured. “And don’t forget that the Guardians were with Tristan when he was almost murdered. They weren’t around us when that first patrol changed course and came our way. Now there’s an even larger force climbing up that mountain after them. And they were quite proud to tell me they had been trained against people entering their minds,” he tacked on.
Reyna couldn’t find the words to reply. She felt helpless, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed. It brought with it a host of memories that tortured her soul. Yet, what could she do? There was no way that she could— “You need to warn Merlin,” she commanded her brother. His telepathic abilities could reach that far, she knew from experience.
“What do you think I’ve been trying to do? Someone or something is blocking me,” the exasperated boy replied.
Images of herself running that goblin contingent down flashed through her head. She could sneak up behind them, one at a time, and slit their throats. They’d never know she was there until she was well in the middle of them. Her heart sang with the glory of battle and her hand was already reaching for her sword.
No, my sister. There’s nothing you can do to save them. For now, they are on their own.
V
“There’s no fucking way,” he swore to the mage. “I’m not doing it.”
“Listen to me,” Merlin tried to reason, his face sympathetic but confident at the same time.
“Not a fucking chance,” Tristan told him as he placed his fiancé on their bedroll. She was still out and showed no signs of waking. He was determined not to leave her side until she had.
The mage reached out and grabbed his arm hard, yanking him aro
und. “If your Guardian is working with the Phoenix, then she knows we are here. She must not stop us. If that happens, then all is lost, and this will have been for nothing. We must continue on without her.”
He shook his head furiously, trying to pull free, “`I’m not going to leave her.”
“Tristan,” Kylee broke in, but stopped when he glared at her.
“Kore and Kylee will stay with her. She will be in good hands. If Preik tries to return; he’ll have them to answer to. But we’re losing time standing here arguing about it. You and I must go on alone. She is in no shape to travel—you know that.” Then the mage pulled him to the cliff’s edge and forced him to look out on the valley below. Night had fallen, and he could see the distant lights of his home. “Look to the left,” Merlin commanded.
His eyes followed where the mage was pointing with his staff and his heart stopped. Lights peppered the northern land as far as his vision allowed. Thousands upon thousands of fires burned down there. Was the entire countryside erupting in flames?
“That is the horde army,” Merlin told him and the horror of what he saw cleared his vision. Those were campfires as the army encamped for the night. “Tomorrow your homeland will be under siege. The city lying before your walls will be sacked and torched; the siege engines moved into place. By nightfall trebuchets will be launching rocks at the walls and the war will have begun. I’m telling you, we don’t have the time to argue. We must continue on!”
“I love her,” he replied weakly, feeling his resolve slip.
“Then do what’s best for both her and the rest of those people you are sworn to protect. Come with me and let’s get this done before the Phoenix takes another shot at us. Sooner or later, she will hit her mark. We’ve been lucky so far, but it will run out. Willow’s safe here with them. Who better than her sister to protect her? Do you think Kylee will ever let anything happen to her?”
The ranger shook her head. “Not a chance in hell. Tristan, if you can go and end this, then do it. We can’t stay on this mountain; not so close to that army.”
He looked down upon his fiancé and his heart was breaking all over again. He had nearly lost her; now he was going to up and leave her again?
“She has another protector now. One that has chosen to reveal his presence and put himself between her and the evil Queen,” Merlin spoke softly.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, confused.
The mage nodded in the direction of the snake carcass that Kore had finally discovered buried in the tall grass. “By involving himself, he’s been marked as her adversary and there is no going back from that.”
“Are you going on about this cat business again? What good is a cat against anything other than snakes and birds?” he thundered.
“And yet it was a snake that nearly killed your beloved,” the mage replied hotly. He went on before Tristan could make a retort. “It’s not a cat, but a fairy creature, one left over from the Old World. I don’t know why he’s here; if we encroached on his territory or he followed us from somewhere else, but that doesn’t matter. He interceded on Willow’s behalf and there’s an ancient belief that if you save someone’s life, you become responsible for it. He won’t let her come to harm; not after sacrificing anonymity to keep her safe.”
“I hate you,” he cursed the older man, who flinched.
“No, you hate that I’m right,” Merlin replied warmly.
He ran a hand down Willow’s cheek, willing her to wake, but her eyes didn’t even flutter. Other than the rise and fall of her chest, there had been no other sign of life. How could he leave her like this? “Fine, in the morning, I’ll go with you,” he finally told the man. Maybe she’d wake by then and end this debate.
Merlin shook his head, “tempus fugit. You and I must go now.”
“I am not scaling that cliff in the dark. That’s suicide,” he snapped.
The mage got to his feet and began gathering his things. They’d packed light, with only their armor and a bit of food for the journey so there wasn’t much to take with them. “We won’t be climbing. Kylee, Kore, take care of her. And be on the watch for that traitor, he might try to succeed where his Mistress failed,” he told them as he came to stand at Tristan’s side.
“Kore keep elfs safe,” the orc responded with a huge nod; which got him a punch in the shoulder from the ranger.
“Kylee keep elfs safe,” she mocked back.
They were trying to make light of things, but it wasn’t working. The weight of his heart refused to let go; he could not say goodbye. “How do you plan on getting up there then?” he inquired of the mage.
Merlin slipped an arm around his armored waist and grinned. “Like this.” With the staff above his head, Merlin said something in another language, and the wind buffeted his face as they shot through the air. His feet dangled, his arms were pressed to his side, as they flew up the cliff side to the heights above.
Chapter 13
Encounters of the Weird Kind
I
Tristan’s hair flew back with the force of the wind and he had to fight to keep his eyes open. The weight of the air made his body retract, like being wrapped in a blanket and being crushed in its embrace. The invisible force that gripped his waist was pulling him towards the clouds and the air was beginning to thin. Human arrows, they pierced the air hunting their target.
Boulders, rocks, very little in the way of flat surfaces lined the mountain speeding past. He couldn’t see how they were going to originally scale the mountain; the ascent was too steep. Had Merlin planned on this mode of travel all along? The air had become frigid and his face felt pricked by a host of needles. His cloak was flapping in the wind; armor barely sheltering him from the cold of the night. Frost had begun to cover Merlin’s goatee and it made him painfully aware that he couldn’t feel his ears. Their eyes met, and the mage nodded his head, trying to smile. Their ascent began to slow and drift forward as Merlin lowered his staff and held it before him.
There was a clearing cut into the side of the narrowed peak, which had to be their destination as it was the only place he’d seen that looked remotely habitable. It didn’t look like it was a natural formation but man-made. How did someone get all the way up here and create a clearing like that? A small shack was nestled in the rear corner and looked like a gust of wind could have torn it to shreds. A couple of days ago, he would’ve questioned the purpose of a dwelling at this altitude, cut off from the world, unable to sustain life, but his mind had begun to accept that there were inexplicable things that he might never understand.
They landed on the soft grass, and though exhilarated by the short flight, he was overjoyed when his boots touched ground. The grass came to his knees and the moisture made it cling to his armor. It was the lone sign of life other than that hut, not even birds dared to fly this high.
He shivered and when he exhaled, his frozen lips let loose soft white vapor. Merlin strode from his side, rubbing his hands together. He would’ve done the same, but the gauntlets would not provide the friction heat that the mage was getting, and his fingers were too cold to attempt their removal.
Leaning his staff forward, Merlin thumped it on the ground and light flared into existence. Then the mage turned and whispered in the other language once more. A red glow spread over the older man and when he reached out and touched Tristan’s shoulder, the glow spiraled down his body as well. Instantly, his body began to warm, the shaking limbs to quiet, and his blood to pump normally once more. His heart raced to wake up the numb parts of his body and he cringed with the tingling pain that the heat brought with it.
“Why didn’t you whisk us up here from the start? Why did we bother spending the whole day hiking up this mountain?” he inquired, attempting to distract from the wakening of his toes and face.
I was worried that using magic would be a beacon to the Phoenix, letting her know instantly where we were. Since that concern is no longer relevant, I’m using it to draw her focus here, instead of your
sleeping fiancé below, Merlin explained.
“Would you stop that? Can’t you speak normally like everyone else?” he stammered, his lips chapped and trembling. His helm had done very little to protect his mouth from the chilled wind.
You really need to learn to accept it. In battle, it’s an efficient way of warning others of danger, or communicating your next move. It requires less energy, and unlike you, I haven’t been able to unclench my jaw yet. Your jaw muscles must be a hell of a lot stronger than mine, which are still trying to thaw, Merlin responded. Must be the constant, unending chatter.
Kiss my ass! he returned with a slight sneer. “Call me old fashioned then. Can we move out of this grass? I think my armor is freezing me in place.”
“When a man’s an empty kettle, he should be on his mettle, and yet I’m torn apart. Just because I’m presumin’ that I could be kind-a-human, if I only had a heart,” Merlin’s voice sang, giving him a start. The mage laughed and began walking towards the small hut. “I’d be tender, I’d be gentle, and awful sentimental, regarding love and art. I’d be friends with sparrows and the elf that shoots the arrows, if I only had a heart. Come along Toto!”
He was never going to understand that man.
Following after the singing mage, he noticed that a weathered wooden door was barely standing against the shack’s side. The hinges screamed as the mage threw it open with little ceremony, his voice finally fading away.
Guess his jaw muscles were finally loosening up. Was that good or bad? He was still on the fence on that. Merlin didn’t need to hold it open as the grass and wind kept it from swinging shut.
He ducked and felt only a slight increase in temperature as he entered the rickety wooden dwelling; it did not provide much in the way of protection from the elements. The wind shook the walls, the boards barely holding to their braces. There was a table directly across from them and a small bowl laying top down by the right chair leg. The only audible noise was the wind; he couldn’t even hear his own labored breathing.
The New Age Saga Box Set Page 26
