Summer of Crows

by Hans Cummings

  Therkla peered into the tent where Vasco had placed the drak. “No idea. Most cults are full of nonsense. This one sounds barking mad. They probably found a bunch of bad mushrooms underground, and now they are carving up your townsfolk searching for the answer to their fever dreams.”

  Great. Insane cultists. Aveline regarded Vasco. “Got an enchantment that will let us see in the dark?”

  “Besides fos? No, though that would be useful, wouldn’t it? I’ll have to do some research when this is over.”

  “I see fine in the dark.” The oroq nudged her companion. “Aerik’s blind as a newborn kitten, though.”

  “Fine, you take point then. Vasco, give us some light.” Aveline gripped her mace. “Let’s see how deep this mine goes.”

  * * *

  Fighting the urge to connect with the crows again, Tasha brushed Silvermane while she waited. She wanted to allow enough time for Aveline and the others to reach the mine before using the birds to observe them. Socks nudged her while she brushed her own steed, nosing around her waist and free hand searching for treats. Using the flat of her hand, she pushed him away.

  Once she finished grooming Silvermane, Tasha fed all three horses. In the distance, an owl hooted. She heard a creature crunching through leaves. Closing her eyes, she cleared her mind. Connecting with Gaia became easier each time she attempted it. Almost immediately, she felt the deer picking through underbrush as they searched for a place to bed down for the night.

  She felt the crows take flight. Tasha decided to give Revan a break. Instead, she sought out Korbin. In an instant, she saw through his eyes as he ascended through the trees and over the forest. After guiding him toward the mines, she viewed her friends at the top of a ridge overlooking the camp, conversing. Rather than try to listen in through Korbin, she let him fly free, reveling at the sights of the world through his eyes. The clarity with which he perceived the Great Whirlpool of Nethuns mesmerized her. By the time Tasha remembered her appointed task, Aveline and the others had already charged down the hill into the camp.

  With horror, Tasha witnessed Therkla murder a drak in the far tent while Aveline, dragging the drak from the other tent, pinned him. Dear Earth Mother, please let these draks be the villains we seek. Visions of draks she had killed in ignorance came unsolicited to her mind, the ichor of their eggs dripping off boots and lightning from her amulet striking down those who fled.

  Korbin landed on the ridge of the first tent in time for Tasha to observe Vasco magically bind and silence the drak Aveline subdued. The knight-captain rose. After a brief discussion, they pushed their prisoner into the other tent and proceeded into the mine.

  Releasing Korbin, she lowered herself to the ground, maintaining her connection with Gaia. Tasha felt the massive beating hearts of the horses as they circled her.

  Tasha reached out with her mind across the hills toward the mines. Korbin remained on top of the tent, grooming himself. From within the mine, she felt a cold presence and a source of power unlike anything she’d experienced. Colors and shapes flashed in her mind, smells came unbidden, and she felt first the sensation of heat, then cold. The fleeting assault on her senses threatened to overwhelm her. Tasha recoiled from the mine.

  Motes of color and sound danced in her mind, even as she fought to clear her vision. She focused on nearby familiarity: the horses, the trees, Revan gliding through the air to join Korbin in the mine camp. Letting him guide her, Tasha viewed the mine again, avoiding the strange, chaotic power within. Instead, she tried to feel the life within the mine. She sensed her friends, but with no eyes to see, she couldn’t determine the nature of their activity. Her fears about the draks’ innocence vanished when she felt malevolence emanating from them. In the background, she perceived another aura.

  A familiar one.

  Her consciousness brushed against the presence just before an approaching cloud of screeching crows overwhelmed her. Shrieking, Tasha fell backward. Her eyes snapped open, severing her connection with the world.

  Darkness took her.

  Chapter 18

  Aveline fought the urge to rush ahead, mindful that the oroq’s night vision, superior to that of humans, gave Therkla an advantage. She led Vasco and Aerik forward, squinting to see past the glaring light provided by the wizard’s staff. A shape appeared out of the darkness ahead. Therkla.

  The oroq approached them, shading her eyes with her hand. “Everyone and their brother are going to know we’re here with that thing blazing like the sun.”

  Vasco covered the glowing tip of his staff with his cloak. “My apologies, but we cannot stumble around in the dark.”

  “It won’t matter soon.” Therkla pointed back the way she came. “They’ve got lanterns set up on the deeper levels. There’s a fork in the passage a dozen paces or so. To the left is an abandoned shaft. It looks like there was a lift, but it’s broken now. Just a frayed rope remains.”

  “And to the right?” Aveline adjusted the grip on her shield.

  “It gets pretty deep. You can see the lanterns from the top. I figure the miners came in using the steep shafts, then used the lift to get the ore out.”

  “Makes sense.” Aveline nodded. “Who’d want to haul ore out on their backs?”

  Aerik thumped his chest. “I could do it.”

  Therkla smacked his shoulder. “All day, every day? You can’t even keep up with me for one night.”

  “All right, let’s go.” Aveline desired not to hear how Therkla and Aerik entertained themselves after sunset. “Can you lead us through the dark until we get to the lighted area? Vasco will extinguish his staff.”

  “Put your hand on my shoulder. Staff-man can follow you, and Aerik will bring up the rear.” Grinning, she licked a protruding tusk. “He’s good at that.”

  After securing her shield across her back, Aveline put her hand on Therkla’s shoulder. She gestured for Vasco to get behind her. When she felt his fingers brush her shoulder, she clasped his hand, securing his grip. Once they moved into position, he extinguished his light, plunging the corridor into utter darkness. Noticing her heart racing, she forced herself to take measured breaths. The combination of darkness so black she couldn’t view her own hand in front of her and the weight of the hillside all around them threatened to send her into a panic.

  In and out. Just take it slow. This shouldn’t bother me like this. Therkla led them at a gradual pace, whispering warnings at low ceilings and protruding rocks. She winced at the creak of leather from her companions’ attire. Each rattle of her own armor sounded like warning bells clanging in the dark.

  Each step seemed like ten. By the time they reached the downward sloping passage, perspiration dripped down Aveline’s face. Dim points of light at the bottom shone like beacons.

  Vasco sniffed the air. “That’s foul. Do you smell it?”

  Aveline wrinkled her nose as a whiff of decay wafted past. “Ugh, I can almost taste it. Something is dead down there.”

  “Whatever those draks are cooking, it’s ripe.” Therkla sneered, baring her teeth. “Wait here, I’ll check it out.”

  Crouching, she motioned for Aerik to follow her. Their shadowy forms intermittently blocked the lantern light—the only hint of their motion down the mine shaft. While they waited, Aveline raised her shield, brushing Vasco’s hand off her shoulder. He tapped his foot with nervous energy.

  Aveline tried not to think of how far underground they were, and how far they’d yet to go. These mines have been abandoned since I was a girl. It wouldn’t take much to bring the ceiling… stop it! Biting the inside of her cheek, she distracted herself from thoughts of being buried alive.

  “How long has it been since these mines were in use?” Vasco prodded the ceiling with the tip of his bladed staff.

  Seizing the shaft, Aveline yanked it down. “Stop that. Too long. We don’t need to tempt fate.”

  He pulled his staff from her grip, then tapped the blade against a wooden support. “These supports are in excellent shape for th
eir age. Despite what you say, I’d wager someone’s been shoring it up.”

  The knight-captain removed her glove with her teeth. She reached up to feel the beam. The wood, dry and hard, possessed none of the signs that decades of neglect and moisture damage would cause. “They’ve been here a while.”

  “Indeed.”

  Aveline donned her glove again as Therkla and Aerik returned. The oroq wrinkled her nose, grimacing. “The smell gets worse, but we didn’t see the source. That’s an antechamber down there. Looks like the miners might have used it to check in for their shifts and whatnot. There’s some broken furniture, and a couple of side tunnels.”

  “We think we heard voices down one of the shafts.” Aerik spat. “Maybe draks, maybe those other creatures the witch saw. It’s hard to tell without getting closer.”

  Chewing on her lip, Aveline considered their options. “They still have lanterns down there? Past the antechamber?”

  “As far as I could tell.” Therkla frowned as Aerik pulled a stick of jerky from his pouch. He tore into it, offering it to each in turn.

  Aveline refused with a wave of her hand. Food now, really? She gestured for the three to follow. “Let’s keep moving.”

  They crept down the mine shaft into the antechamber. The remains of an oaken desk, probably belonging to the mine foreman, cluttered one corner of the rectangular room. Growing stronger, the odor of decay filled Aveline’s nose.

  She choked back bile. “All right.” She pinched her nose. “That’s about the worst thing I’ve ever smelled.”

  Aerik pushed past her. “Not as bad as getting an ettin’s guts spilled all over you.”

  While she agreed the Watchman probably had a point, Aveline felt no desire to experience an odor worse than the one currently permeating the air.

  “Well, boss, which way?” Therkla pointed to the three exits. “We heard the talking down the middle one.”

  Aveline sniffed the air at each exit. None smelled significantly fresher than the others. Pinching her nose shut again, she hissed through clenched teeth. “You’d think at least one would smell better.”

  The oroq grimaced. “Whatever’s causing that stink isn’t natural. Bet you a case of ale on it.”

  “No bets.” Aveline pointed down the center shaft. “Let’s go say ‘hello.’”

  * * *

  Groaning, Tasha rolled onto her side. “That was unpleasant.” She squeezed her eyes. “At least there’s no hangover.”

  While remaining in their circle, the horses stood watch over her, each having clearly finished eating. Tasha pulled herself to her feet using Silvermane’s reins, then detached each feedbag.

  “Sorry, I didn’t think I’d pass out on you.”

  She knelt, smoothing her skirt before pressing her hands against the earth. “Let’s see what we can see.”

  Her thoughts encompassed the grove, then the valley, and finally the land around the mine. Noticing Revan and Korbin no longer guarded the tents, she found them enjoying a freshly killed mouse some distance away. A wave of nausea washed over her upon briefly learning how raw mouse tasted. Revan pecked at Korbin. He hopped away from the mouse and took to the air, flying Tasha’s senses back to the mine.

  She guided him into the tent with the bound and silent drak, confirming he lived. She then directed the bird to enter the mine.

  Revan refused.

  No? Won’t go underground, huh? Well, I don’t blame you. I had to ask.

  She let him wander the camp, pecking at scurrying beetles, but she drew the line when he wanted to inspect the dead body in the other tent. Upon finding no shiny baubles, Revan perched on top of the captive drak’s tent and treated Tasha to a view of the mine entrance. After a few minutes of viewing nothing of importance, Revan fluttered as Korbin landed alongside him.

  I don’t suppose there’s any way you can notify me if they need help or emerge in distress? They could be hours. The birds bobbed in response. After releasing Revan from her control, Tasha continued meditating. She took care not to encompass the mine again, mindful of the strange presence and abundance of chaos energy.

  Momentarily, she considered unrolling Abarron’s scrolls and creating light by which to study them. She wasn’t sure whether the birds would be able to contact her if she weren’t connected to the world in this fashion, though. Forcing them to fly back to her in the event the group needed her would waste valuable time. I really need more time to experiment with this. I wonder if Lorelei communed with animals in this way. Is it just the crows?

  The horses, a comforting presence surrounding her, seemed a good place to start answering questions. She sought out each in turn. Even though she did not see their physical form in her mind’s eye, each presented as an individual to her. Silvermane’s calm demeanor stood in contrast to the stallion’s eagerness to gallop across open fields, leaving Pepper as the third by default.

  She heard Silvermane whicker at her mental touch. Shifting its stance, the horse tossed its head. While she felt the gelding’s awareness of her attempt, she remained unable to utilize the horse’s senses as she had with the crows.

  Perhaps a horse is just too big. Seeking a smaller creature, Tasha found a rabbit in a nearby burrow. Its heart raced as she reached out to it, and it shrank deeper into its nest. Still, she could not connect with it.

  Tasha sighed. Maybe there’s something to Aerik’s talk of a Crow Queen. That’s crazy, though. She’s gone off to some other part of the world… or dead. The sorceress returned to her crows, still standing vigil over the mine. Although she did not see through their eyes, Tasha detected a shape standing in the shadows of the mine entrance.

  Curious, Tasha focused on the shape. Its presence felt familiar, like what she’d felt earlier. It called to her, beckoning her closer. As Tasha’s mind touched the figure’s, clouds of crows filled her vision. When the birds cleared, she observed two women conversing in an underground tunnel near a gaping hole—a mine shaft. A broken winch dangled from the ceiling with its rope trailing into the darkness. Casting dancing shadows on the walls, a burning torch sputtered on the ground at their feet.

  One woman, bent, wizened, wearing a black cloak over coarse-woven linen robes trimmed with vines and scarlet autumn leaves, backed toward the hole. “Don’t do this, Nika, I beg you.”

  The other woman, younger and with muscles like knotted rope, held a blade at the older woman’s chest. Tasha recognized a familial resemblance in their appearance. “You let him die!”

  “You’re wrong. I did everything I could.” The old woman held up her trembling hands. “Some people cannot be saved.”

  “You never liked him. You never loved him.” Nika swung her sword at the old woman, forcing her backward until her feet teetered at the edge of the shaft. “You took a child from him, then you tossed him aside.”

  Is this happening now? Is this the past? Tasha tried expanding the view in her mind to encompass her surroundings, to bring the world into focus, but a force fixed her attention on the scene transpiring before her.

  “That’s not true. The mantle demanded a sacrifice. Gaia, Cybele… they all demanded a sacrifice. I had to give up our love, our baby, my youth, all to save the town.” The old woman forced herself to stand upright. “Magic like that has a price. I saved as many as I could. I never asked for anything in return. I saved you and returned to tending my garden, bereft of love and my beauty. The only thing I gained was my sister’s hatred.”

  “Liar! Dimas was mine. You were always jealous he turned to me after you rejected him.” She advanced, clenching her jaw. “You murdered him.” Nika drew her arm back, preparing to strike.

  Roots burst from the earthen walls, seizing her arm and wresting the blade free. Clattering to the ground, it skidded toward the pit.

  Nika swiped with her foot, catching the old woman in the chest.

  Losing her balance, the old woman clutched at the air. She pitched backward into the shaft. Following the old woman, Tasha’s head spun as she plunged int
o the darkness. The woman’s body smashed against a pile of broken rocks, cracking her skull and shattering her bones.

  The old woman lifted her head toward the dim, flickering light of her sister’s torch. Blood streamed from her nose and mouth. “Ehfasha uh beed uh coida uhn grey’dioh eych cruad…”

  As the old woman sighed her last breath, Nika, cursed. Preceded by the hacking of steel against wood and earth, roots and clumps of dirt cascaded upon the woman’s body.

  With the torch gone, darkness once again fell over Tasha. Feeling a slimy, wet sensation upon her face, she touched her cheek.

  Ducking his head, Silvermane lipped her face. When she opened her eyes, he nudged her with his nose.

  She pushed him away. “All right, all right. I’m back. I’m up. Everything is fine.”

  Tasha wiped the slobber from her face with a sleeve before kneeling again. Placing her hands on the mossy earth, she sought out Revan’s mind. He and Korbin dozed on their perch at the tent, keeping a furtive watch on the mine.

  Chapter 19

  As Aveline led Aerik and Therkla down the central passage, the glimmering light from the lanterns gave way to brighter dancing flames of a campfire. Low voices muttered, seemingly arguing, in an unknown language.

  From within the shadows, Aveline observed three figures huddled around the fire. Two were covered in black-striped white fur. Leaning on each other, they sat side by side conversing with the third, a lanky, black-furred creature possessing an elongated face and curling horns. Their appearances matched nothing Aveline had ever seen, although the two striped figures appeared vaguely feline.

  Vasco bumped into her, causing her to lose her footing. The ears of the two cat-like figures twitched, rotating at the sound of Aveline’s pauldron scraping against the wall. Huddling closer, they whispered to their companion, who stared into the darkness. She noticed shackles chaining their legs and arms together, but she observed no weapons near them.

  The tall, horned figure shouted. Aveline tightened her grip on her mace, striding into the light. “What… manner of creatures are you?” She kept her voice low, so it would not carry, hoping at least one would understand her.