Summer of Crows

by Hans Cummings

  Therkla growled. Aveline put her hand on the oroq’s arm to steady her.

  The second laughed. “I’ll admit, that oroq isn’t half bad. Although the other is more to my taste, even if she is a northerner.”

  The first joined in the laughter. “I didn’t know oroqs grew tits that big.”

  Flinging off Aveline’s arm, Therkla charged ahead. For a moment, Aveline considered staying in the safety of the shadows. She sighed, tightening her grip on the chain, and joined the oroq woman in her rage-filled rush.

  “You want a piece, do you?” Therkla burst into the room, a towering grey mountain of naked oroq fury. She howled. Calling out to Maris, goddess of war, she tackled the nearest of the two men. She rammed the top of her head into the man’s jaw, following through with a punch to his midsection.

  The other hulking, hairy brute wearing tattered leather breeches and a fur-lined vest, stood aside. Wide eyed, he witnessed Therkla slamming her opponent onto the floor with enough force to dent his breastplate. Catching his ear, Aveline swung her shackle across the side of the hairy man’s face. Screaming, he clutched his bleeding ear with one hand while he fumbled to loose the mace hanging at his waist.

  Therkla punched the first man. “Let me show you how we kiss.” Closing her mouth around his nose and upper lip, she bit into him with an audible crunch. Shrieking, he thrashed, fighting to free his sword from a scabbard now pinned underneath him.

  “How’d you… the draks…” The hairy hulk brandished his—no, Aveline’s—mace backing away from her, ogling her naked body.

  Aveline swung the shackle again. He raised the mace to block. The chain wrapped around the hilt. “That’s mine.”

  She yanked on the chain, ripping the mace from his hand. Letting the chain fall free, she gripped the familiar weapon.

  He regarded his now-silent companion while Therkla, straddling him, bashed his head repeatedly into the stony floor.

  “Yield and you shall have mercy.” Aveline raised her mace. “Therkla! He’s done.”

  Responding to her name, the oroq rose from her fallen opponent, blood dripping from her face and hands. Upon rolling him over, she jerked her blade from the scabbard hung at his waist. Grinning, she regarded Aveline’s opponent.

  The blood drained from the big man’s face. He glanced from warrior to warrior, as if assessing the odds of facing one or the other.

  In no mood for games, Aveline set her jaw. “Surrender or die.”

  The man turned to flee. She swung her mace, catching the back of his head. Simultaneously, Therkla lunged forward. She pierced his side with her blade, shoving it through his ribs until it protruded from his back. He crumpled, blood pouring from his head and side. The oroq put her foot on him, shoving him away from her blade.

  Therkla wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Two more for the pile.”

  Turning away from her in disgust, Aveline crouched at Therkla’s opponent, careful not to look at his ruined face. The breastplate he wore, although dented, remained salvageable. To her dismay, she recognized it as hers.

  “It doesn’t even fit him.” Aveline tugged at the straps, loosening the armor.

  “We know the way out. We should go.”

  “Let’s reclaim our gear. We might need it.” She rolled the man out of her armor, then pulled the undershirt over his head, frowning when it collected blood from the myriad wounds covering his face. “The prisoners said nothing about these men. Who knows what else awaits us?”

  “None of these clothes or armor is mine.” Therkla kicked the hairy man’s corpse. “I guess as long as I have my sword, I’m set.”

  “Take his breeches at least.” Aveline pointed toward the hairy man’s bottom half while she struggled to strip the man who wore her breastplate.

  “Why? Does all this oroq flesh bother you?” Therkla licked a blood-crusted tusk, arching her back.

  “Fine. Run around naked.” Grunting, Aveline peeled off the man’s breeches. “I don’t care.”

  His clothes proved adequate, although tight, to wear under her armor. Turning, she noticed Therkla staring at her from beneath a lowered brow, smiling.

  The oroq woman put her arms around Aveline, pulling her close, her breath laced with the metallic stink of blood. “When we get back to town, what say we get a nice, hot bath, together, and a bottle of wine. Make Aerik jealous?”

  Aveline pushed her away, shaking her head. She felt blood rush to her face. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled to respond in a way that didn’t seem insulting. “One thing at a time. Let’s just get out first.”

  The oroq smacked her lips, grinning as she passed Aveline. “All right, just think about it. There’s no point in living if you can’t feel alive.”

  * * *

  Contemplating the abyss of the mine shaft before her, Tasha wiped her clammy palms on her tunic. The gaping hole reminded her of a great maw, waiting to devour her.

  “Forgive me, but this seems an unnecessary diversion.” Vasco held on to her arm, refusing to peer down the shaft.

  Tasha withdrew from his grip. “Whatever is down there can help us.”

  “I think there are enough of us to deal with this wizard and however many minions remain.” Vasco tugged at her sleeve. “Come, Aveline and the oroq woman need us.”

  “Aveline can take care of herself, Vasco.” Tasha felt the energy of the presence at the bottom of the shaft calling to her. “What’s down there can help with that chaos rift and whatever the wizard is doing with it.”

  “We could split up.” Raj crouched at the edge of the mine shaft. “One could stay here with Tasha to help her down the shaft, and the rest could go search for your friends.”

  “I do not think that is wise.” Using his staff, Vasco prodded the broken pulley protruding from the ceiling.

  Tasha held her hand out behind her. “Pass me that rope we found.” She hoped what they took from the camp was long enough to reach the bottom of the shaft.

  Jazeera handed it to her. “Yes, it is terrible, this idea. We have a saying in Nakambe: don’t follow two paths at once.”

  Tasha tossed one end of the rope down the hole, allowing it to unravel. “Someone needs to hold or secure this end. I’m climbing down there.”

  Aerik pulled Raj out of the way, then took the rope from Tasha. “I’ll hold it.”

  Jazeera approached Tasha, bowing her head. “Perhaps you will allow me to go first. If there is danger there, you would appreciate the warning, yes? It’s the least I can do to repay you for freeing us.”

  Tasha considered her offer. “Thank you. I would prefer not going down there alone.” Nodding, she placed her hand on the faelix’s shoulder.

  “Hold fast.” Jazeera gestured to Yun, who, nodding, grabbed the rope, helping Aerik hold it tight. The faelix twisted her arm around the line before shimmying over the edge.

  Aerik and Yun grunted as Jazeera’s descent tugged at the rope. Together, they kept it from slipping. Tasha observed it twitch with the faelix’s movements as she disappeared from sight.

  Raj watched from Tasha’s side, peering over the edge. “She is making good progress. Do you know how far it goes?”

  “You can see her?” No matter how much she strained, Tasha saw naught but pitch black beyond the boundary of their enchanted illumination.

  “There is plenty of light for our eyes.” Raj waved over the edge to his sister.

  “The rope is not long enough.” Jazeera’s voice rose from the darkness. “It’s a short jump to the bottom, though. There’s a skeleton here. If you’re coming, please hurry.”

  “My sister is nimble, but she doesn’t take risks.” Raj touched Tasha’s arm. “It’s not far from the end of the rope to the bottom.”

  Tasha gripped the rope to ease over the side. “I hate heights like this. It may as well be twenty leagues.”

  The glow from her amulet illuminated the wall of the mine shaft in front of her as she worked her way downward, bracing her feet again
st the earth as she descended. Within moments, her hands ached from her death grip on the rope.

  Glancing upward, the magical glow from Vasco’s staff eclipsed her view of the top of the shaft. Shutting her eyes against the glare, she lowered herself.

  From below, Tasha heard Jazeera whisper words of encouragement. Risking vertigo, she glanced downward. The bottom, as well as Jazeera, remained out of sight. A wave of nausea overcame the sorceress. She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on calming the churning in her stomach.

  Once the urge to vomit passed, Tasha resumed her descent. Proceeding hand over hand, she continued downward. The familiar presence pressed against her thoughts, urging her closer. In her mind, she felt the walls of the shaft, the ever-closer bottom, even Jazeera waiting for her and Raj and the others up top. She felt other life in the mine, the worms in the ground, even the people deeper in the mine.

  So intent she was on searching for signs of Aveline, Tasha realized she reached the end of the rope moments before grabbing open air. Panic returned, and her hands slipped.

  Time froze as Tasha fell. Crashing into the mound of detritus knocked the wind out of her. Gasping for breath, she lay motionless

  Jazeera offered her a hand. “You should not let yourself get distracted when climbing.”

  With the faelix’s help, Tasha rose to her feet. She shone her amulet around the bottom of the shaft. On the opposite side of the mound, near where she impacted, stark white bone reflected the light. The familiar presence she’d been feeling returned, stronger than before. Crouching by the bones, she noticed a shimmering black cloak beneath it.

  “Is this why you needed to come down here?” Jazeera squatted beside her. “You knew this person?”

  “I didn’t know her, but she is why we’re here.” In her heart, Tasha recognized the body as that of the woman who fell down the shaft in her vision. She touched the cloak. Feathers. Black feathers, like those of crows. Like the one I saw in my dream…

  With painstaking care, Tasha pulled the cloak from under the bones, careful not to disturb the woman’s rest. She noticed the stitching holding the feathers to the backing seemed untouched by time. For that matter, even the fabric appeared to be in pristine condition.

  “I am very confused why, in the middle of rescuing your friend, you needed to come down here for a piece of clothing.” Jazeera crossed her arms. “What is so important about that?”

  Tasha gathered the cloak in her arms. “I know it looks bad. It’s… it’s difficult to explain.” She glanced upward at the tiny point of light pinpointing the location of their companions. “We should ascend first.”

  The faelix narrowed her eyes. “You go first. I will follow behind.”

  Tasha understood her behavior seemed strange to the faelix. She secured the cloak over her shoulder. Jazeera knelt beneath the line, preparing to boost Tasha. She let the faelix give her a leg up, grabbed onto the rope, and then ascended.

  Her arms burned within minutes, even using her feet against the side of the mine shaft to aid her ascent. Her heart skipped a beat when the rope jerked in her hands as Jazeera caught hold. Tasha scrambled to gain a foothold, raining dirt and rocks on the faelix, as their companions pulled on the rope to aid their ascent.

  By the time they reached the top, the sorceress’s arms trembled, and her clothes, drenched in sweat, clung to her body. She sat on the ground panting.

  Jazeera skipped past Tasha. “Let her catch her breath, but then we should ask why we just went through all that for clothes.”

  Chapter 23

  Creeping through the shadows, retracing their steps from earlier in the day, distracted Aveline from focusing on Therkla’s proposition. Despite the passages appearing familiar, the knight-captain remained vigilant.

  The two made their way to the room where they first encountered the captives. After gaining their bearings, they identified the route leading upward toward the mine entrance.

  Therkla held Aveline from starting up the passageway. “You hear that?”

  Cupping her hand around her ear, she heard voices echoing in the higher passage. From the sound of it, Aveline judged the speakers to be near the mine entrance. They continued to follow the voices, weapons held at the ready.

  As they drew closer, Aveline recognized one of the voices. Her heart skipped. Laughing, she broke into a run. She ignored Therkla’s calls to slow down and come back. Light from outside grew brighter. Upon nearing the mine entrance, she realized the voices originated from the other passageway, the abandoned mine shaft with the broken lift.

  Charging ahead, she rounded the bend, nearly colliding with Aerik. The three former prisoners surrounded Tasha, who sat on the floor. Vasco crouched near her. Spinning, Aerik raised his weapon in alarm before noticing Therkla who arrived behind Aveline.

  “Ye gods, woman.” Aerik lowered his sword, gawking. “This is no fit place to be running about naked.”

  “Aveline!” Tasha launched herself at the knight-captain, scrambling past her companions. The two embraced. Aveline felt tears welling in her eyes at the sight of her friend.

  Therkla took Vasco aside.

  “I feared I lost you.” Tasha squeezed Aveline. The sorceress trembled, holding the knight-captain.

  “It’s going to take more than that. Thanks for coming after me.”

  Ra-Jareez crossed his arms. “It is fortunate you rescued yourselves. We were too busy looking for old clothes.”

  Spinning, Tasha glared at the faelix even as Aerik stepped forward with balled fists. “The Crow Queen does not answer to you. One life is nothing compared to all her responsibilities.”

  Aveline put her hand on Tasha’s shoulder, shaking her head. The sorceress met her eyes.

  Therkla, snarling, moved to strike Aerik. “One life? Perhaps you didn’t notice I’d been taken too.”

  Raising his hands, Aerik backed away from the angry oroq. “I… I was worried for y… you, of course. I merely meant the Crow Queen was primarily concerned with the life of her lady friend there…”

  “Yes, concerned enough to climb down an abandoned mine shaft in the wrong direction to retrieve a moldy old cloak from a pile of bones.” Jazeera leaned against her brother as she, too, crossed her arms and stared at Tasha.

  “Enough. Enough!” Aveline held up her hands. “None of that matters now; we’re both safe.” She pointed toward the entrance. “Vasco, you and Therkla come outside with me and drag that drak in here. We’re going to get some answers.” She pointed at the three former prisoners. “You three can help us or go wait outside with the horses, I don’t care which. I’m going to get my spare breeches and shirt from Socks. When I return, we’re going to go find that wizard, and we’re going to finish this.”

  * * *

  While Aveline stepped outside with Vasco and Therkla to retrieve their drak prisoner and re-equip themselves, Tasha examined the cloak she retrieved from the depths of the mine. Crouching near her, Aerik observed as she spread it out.

  “The faelixes think retrieving that was a waste of time.” He stroked the feathers. “What’s so important about it?”

  “I think”—Tasha smoothed the cloak as it lay over her lap—“this belonged to the Crow Queen. I think that is who is down there.”

  “Your predecessor? How did you know?” He stroked one of the feathers with a finger.

  “When I commune with Gaia, I sometimes have visions. I see things, other places…”

  “The future?” Aerik raised his eyebrows. “Visions of things yet to come?”

  “Not yet.” Tasha shook her head. “But I have seen the past. I don’t know if the visions come from the Earth Mother or from a spirit.”

  “The Crow Queen serves more than just Gaia.” Aerik placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “Cybele, Artume, too, I think. Perhaps the visions come from one of them?”

  Tasha ran her hand along the feathers of the cloak. “Perhaps.”

  She shrugged off her old cape, then pulled the feathered mantle ar
ound her shoulders. It wrapped itself around her as if alive, pulling itself snug and clasping around her neck. She felt the wooden toggle, carved in relief with leaves and vines. The cloak hung to just above her heels. It felt to Tasha like a mother’s embrace.

  “Let’s check on Aveline and the others. Hopefully, Therkla hasn’t throttled our prisoner.”

  Chuckling, Aerik led her out. Therkla held the snarling, pale, green-scaled drak at arms’ length while Aveline pushed his head back with the head of her mace. Vasco kept watch for anyone approaching from the forest or the hills.

  “The Master Under the Mountain will rend the flesh from your bones. He’ll drink his soup from your skulls!” Spitting, the drak thrashed, a futile effort against Therkla’s iron grip.

  “Yes, yes, and skewer our eyes and juice our livers.” The oroq cast a sidelong glance at Aveline. “He has plenty of fight in him, but I don’t think he knows much about the wizard or his plans.”

  Tasha approached her friend. “Perhaps I can help?”

  “I don’t think we’re going to get much out of this one.” Therkla shook the hissing drak. He flailed his legs in a vain attempt to kick her.

  Taking Tasha’s arm, Aveline led her away. “I’m reluctant to execute a prisoner…”

  “I’m not.” Therkla chuckled.

  The knight-captain took several more steps with Tasha before resuming. “We can’t just leave him tied up. You know draks better than I do. What would his kin do?”

  Tasha glanced at Therkla tightening her grip on the prisoner, returning his snarls and snips with her own growls and gnashing teeth. “Draks in Curton follow the same laws we do. If his clan disapproves of his actions, they might banish him, but maybe all these draks belong to the same clan. If what he’s saying is true, they serve a master of whom no draks I’ve dealt with would approve.”

  Aveline crossed her arms, glancing over her shoulder. “So, what do we do? I can’t keep him in the jail forever, and I wouldn’t inflict him on any of the draks in town to rehabilitate. What they’ve all been doing down there… you should see the bodies.”