by David Adams
Xanar had been next to Silas, and had dropped to one knee to avoid the passing monster. Out of the corner of his eye he had seen the movement that was his sister being flipped from her hiding place, and as he rose up with his attention divided, his first reaction was to move to her aid, rather than lining up a shot on the spider with his bow.
Uesra struggled to get up, struggled to pull in a breath. The impact of the spider’s clawed foot had been as hard as it had been unexpected, and she shook her head to clear it, knowing she needed a few seconds to collect herself. Whether or not she had those seconds, she did not know. She finally managed to lift her head, and quickly took in the tableau of battle: the spider gathering itself for another charge; Silas, Barlow, and Darius racing forward to meet it; Adrianna finding a place to launch another spell; and Xanar… Xanar was running toward her, his face a mask of concern. She managed to lift a trembling hand and pointed at the spider. “Use your bow,” she gasped.
The words were enough to assure him she was all right. He pivoted, aimed, and fired with lightning quickness.
It was still too slow. The spider drove down toward the three charging men, swiping Barlow and Darius aside with a foreleg, ignoring the pain of Gabriel slicing into its exoskeleton. Silas used his staff to fend off the snapping fangs once again, but the spider anticipated the move. Rather than trying to bite through the wooden staff, it rotated its head quickly left and then right, using its fangs to bat the staff aside, then grabbing Silas around his muscular torso. The fangs dug in, puncturing his cloak and inner garments, then ground into his skin, delivering venom into his bloodstream. The spider rose up, intent on holding its victim until his struggles ceased.
Xanar unleashed a stream of arrows, but of necessity none came near the spider’s vulnerable eyes. They did little damage. The spider felt the pinch of the arrows, saw Barlow and Darius regain their feet and come on again, and so it backed away. Silas strained to break free but was held fast.
Adrianna watched what was happening with growing horror, but her mind found a focus almost immediately. She fought off the adrenaline surging through her as she formed another spell and cast it, flinging her arms violently forward as she did so, as if the power of the motion would enhance the magic.
A loud thunderclap rang out, centered on the spider. The force of the sonic burst was so great that as its echoes faded in the distance everyone who could do so had to pick themselves up off the snow.
Uesra had just struggled to her feet when the wave hit, and she had to repeat the process, now dizzy as well as out of breath. She used her scimitars to keep herself upright as she regarded the world around her. The spider was on its back, its body still but its legs twitching. Silas was crawling away from it, a thin line of blood, which was probably the least of the harm the spider had done him, staining his cloak. Xanar, Barlow, and Darius all managed to get up, apparently unharmed. Uesra had to look around a moment before she could find Adrianna. The sorceress was lying flat on her back, unmoving.
Barlow went straight to Silas, falling to his knees and holding the cleric so he’d stop crawling. He saw that Darius had followed, and told him, “I think the spider’s dead, but make sure.”
As Darius moved away, Silas lifted his head. “Adrianna’s hurt. She needs help.”
“So do you,” Barlow countered. “If you want to help her, help yourself first. That venom won’t wait. My healing powers might slow it, but you’re better able to deal with poison.”
Silas wanted to argue, but could feel his arms growing weak, shaking at the effort needed to hold up even part of his weight. His legs were no better, and he doubted he could stand, even if he wanted to. “Maybe you’re right. Get my pack.”
Darius moved slowly toward the spider, its still-twitching legs creating uncertainty. He worked his way in close, then drove his sword into it, wincing in expectation of some violent reaction. He breathed a sigh of relief as the spider’s blood started to flow from the wound and the twitching slowed and then stopped. He ran it through twice more to be sure.
Uesra was the first to reach Adrianna, her brother only a second behind. She knelt next to the sorceress, unsure what to do, fearful of touching her. She leaned in close, noticed the puffs of breath the cold made visible, and relaxed a bit. After a few moments she could tell the breaths were steady and regular. “Go tell Barlow and Silas she’s breathing normally," she told Xanar. “I’ll stay with her for now.”
Xanar passed on the news, which visibly lifted Silas’ spirits. Barlow was applying a poultice to the wound, following Silas’ directions. “What do you know about the impact of the venom?” Barlow asked the elf.
“It can kill, but it is rare that it does so to an elf. Not sure how that relates to humans. Tundra spiders tend toward smaller prey usually, so if the size of the intended victim matters, that’s good news.”
“A lot of venom had already come off those fangs in the fight as well,” Darius pointed out.
“I’m feeling better already,” Silas told them. “I need to meditate for a few minutes, then I will see what I can do for Adrianna. Barlow, if you wouldn’t mind, a bit of paladin healing would come in handy right about now.”
Xanar and Darius waited patiently while Barlow laid hands on the meditating cleric and prayed. After a few minutes, Silas drew in a shallow breath—one got the impression he meant it to be deeper, but stopped the intake of air when he felt the pain in his side that let him know he had expanded his ribs a bit too far—then asked them to help him up.
Adrianna had regained consciousness, and once she saw the circle of her friends around her, said, “Can I have permission to sit up now? My nurse here had ordered me to stay still until you arrived.”
“A wise precaution,” Silas said. “But, yes, you can sit up if you feel up to it.”
Adrianna did so, allowing Xanar and Darius each to take an arm to steady her. Recollection of recent events returned to her fully then, as she regarded Silas. “Are you okay? I wasn’t sure I’d see you up and about so soon.”
“Or at all,” Barlow added.
“I’m going to be fine,” Silas said. “Thanks to you, I believe. I’m guessing a spell dropped that spider.”
She nodded. “A sonic burst. I hadn’t fully mastered it, but…”
“It seemed very effective,” Uesra said.
Adrianna nodded again, but her look was one of concern. “I didn’t so much throw it at the spider, I created it inside the thing. Probably scrambled all its internal organs.”
“It must have, considering the aftershock knocked us all off our feet,” Darius said.
“But it was too risky,” she replied, now shaking her head. “I could have killed more than the spider. But, when I saw it grab you…” She touched the sleeve of Silas’ cloak. “I had to do something.”
“You did what you had to do,” Xanar told her. “Risks come with the territory.”
“Maybe,” she said, clearly unconvinced. “But magic forces need to be respected. I shouldn't have tried such a risky spell. The power almost overwhelmed me.” She thought for a moment, then pulled at a necklace she wore, drawing out a small amulet with a ruby-colored gem as its centerpiece. She studied it for a time, and muttered aloud, “I really did overdo it.”
“What is that?” Barlow asked. “I’m guessing it’s not just an adornment.”
“It’s a focal point of sorts for my magic. An amplifier if you will. Some use wands or staffs. I prefer this amulet. It allows me to use my hands to direct the magic. But like all such devices, it can be broken if misused.
“Is it?” Silas asked with some alarm.
“No. There are hairline cracks in it, though, and its looks cloudier than what’s normal. Or what was. And it’s not something I can repair.”
“What does that mean?” Darius wanted to know. “For you and your powers?”
“It means I called upon too much power to cast that sonic spell. Overloaded the amulet. It will still function, but it is far more liable to
fracture now. I’ll need to take great care as far as how I use it.”
“And if it does shatter?”
“My abilities would be greatly reduced. This stone could be replaced, but such a thing is hard to come by, and takes a long time to be attuned to the user.”
The wind whipped up a sheet of snow, forcing them to silence for a moment, and reminding them that they still had many frozen miles to cover. When it died down, Silas asked, “Do you think you can stand?”
“I’m fine now,” Adrianna answered. “The magic overload just threw me for a bit of a loop. What about you? Can you travel?”
He helped her stand to prove his strength was returning swiftly, and that the effects of the venom had been blunted. “Getting better every minute.”
As they started off, Uesra pointed the way and asked Barlow to take the lead for a few moments. Then she waited for Xanar, who was at the back of the line with Darius, as had become the custom. She looked at Darius first, saying, “I’d like to speak to my brother privately for a moment, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing,” Darius said. He quickened his step to give the two elves some distance.
She strode along quietly for a time, her face hidden by the hood of her cloak. When she finally turned her head to look at him, her features were hard and stern. “You cannot hesitate like that, Xanar.”
“I thought you were hurt.”
“It does not matter. Taking out the spider was the most crucial thing. What could you have done for me if I had been hurt?”
He shrugged. “It was an instinctive reaction.”
“You must unlearn such instincts. Your bow, for that moment, was the best weapon we had. When you ran to me, you endangered lives.”
He paused a moment, then said, “What would you have me say? Should I apologize for caring about your welfare?”
“No. And you know that is not my point. You cannot focus on me when the others are in danger as well. The good of the group comes first.”
“So you’d sacrifice me if it came to that?”
“That’s not fair,” she said with a sigh. “You’re twisting my meaning, and you know it.”
For a time they marched on, the only sound the crunch of the snow beneath their boots. Xanar saw Darius glance back, but shook his head, indicating, “No, not yet.”
“Xanar,” Uesra said. “I’m touched that you wished to come to my aid. I know you’d give your life for me if it came to that. I’d do the same for you.”
“I know,” he replied, unable to look at her.
“Good. We need to trust that we can look out for ourselves, and that our new friends will have our backs. I did not doubt that before, and we can both be sure of it now.”
“Right.” Sensing his sister had had her say, and that things were right between them again, Xanar’s smile returned. “Any other tutoring today, oh wiser and so-much-older sister?”
Uesra shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Doubt your feeble brain could absorb it. You spend too much mental energy on your supposed wit.”
Xanar stopped and let his jaw drop in mock amazement. “Wow, Uesra, what’s gotten into you? Hey, Darius, listen to this one…”
* * *
Darius had been able to laugh at Uesra’s zinger, but he was far more interested in what the topic of conversation had been between brother and sister. After Xanar had given him an abbreviated summary, he emitted a long sigh. “She’s right, of course, but I’m not so sure those kind of instincts are easy to overcome, or even if you’d really want to.”
“My feelings exactly. Didn’t see any point in discussing it further with her though. It’d just give her another thing to worry about next time we’re in a tough spot.And those sorts of distractions can be deadly.”
Darius nodded, his mind drifting back in time for a few moments.
“You’re thinking about Luke,” Xanar said. “Aren’t you.”
Darius nodded slowly. “Hard not to after what we’ve just talked about. The ‘what ifs’ are still there, always will be. But once we were fighting that giant… As much as I wanted to think I could protect him, there was nothing I could have done to save him.”
“Does that help? Knowing that?”
“A little. Time has helped more, the passage of time and a lot of activity since he fell. I think if I had too much free time to sit around and think about it, to replay it in my mind, that I’d go crazy.”
“I won’t pretend I know what you’ve been through, but when Uesra was trampled… Maybe I got a glimpse of it. It must take a lot of courage for you to keep pressing on, after what happened.”
Darius shook his head. “I think it’d be harder to turn back. If I did, it’d mean he died for nothing.” Darius felt the heaviness of the silence that fell, his glib friend having no ready response. He decided he’d better lighten the mood. Today had been hard enough already. “In the meantime, I’ll try to avoid grabbing at any other interesting stuff sticking out of the snow.”
That got Xanar to smile. “Well, at least you learn from your mistakes. That gives you a leg up on most of Corterra.”
Chapter 3: Glaze
For a week the world had been only snow and wind and cold. To the south, the Endless Hills had earned their name, as there was still no end to them in sight despite weeks of monotonous, tiring travel. They had had no further run-ins with tundra spiders or any other denizens of the north, but there was little relief in that. The north’s most fearsome beast was the weather, and it had arrived.
Barlow’s muscles ached with the cold and the long marches through the snow. He imagined it was worse for Silas and Adrianna, who were still recovering from the battle with the tundra spider, but sympathy didn’t ease his physical discomfort. In his youth, he thought, this would have been easier, but still not comfortable. He could see that just by glancing at Darius, who shivered and struggled as much as the older members of the group, though he never complained. Barlow was becoming more grateful each day for the sips of flune and the elven clothing, finding he was able to keep some feeling in his fingers and toes that otherwise might not have been possible. Despite this, some part of him he had more and more trouble silencing as the years passed caused him to ask Uesra, “This isn’t nearly as bad as winter gets here, is it?”
She looked at him, saw the redness on his nose and cheeks and the ice on his mustache, saw the look in his eyes that knew the truth but longed for the little white lie. But she knew false hope was insidious, a path to disappointment and sometimes mistrust or worse. “Maybe we’ll get lucky. But no, this is far from the worst we might expect.”
He let out a quick “hrmpf,” but nodded and plodded on.
* * *
The wind had picked up, and now was a steady irritant. At least they were moving east, meaning the wind was at their backs, and the snow it flung about was, for the most part, not blown in their faces.
It happened so swiftly that there was no time for anyone to react. It came from behind, using the wind to aid its already formidable speed, and to cover the sound of its approach. It reached out a claw and snatched Darius, easily lifting him into the air as it rose skyward and arced north, heading for home.
Xanar was in front of his friend, and only saw a flash of movement and heard a mild grunt as Darius was taken. His bow was ready in an instant, but he had no shot. He cried Darius’ name, holding the bow taut but unable to do anything except watch helplessly. He squinted up into the driven snow, watching the ice dragon as it faded in the distance with his friend hanging limply in one of its claws. The white of the dragon’s scales soon blended with the rest of the winter canvas, and it vanished from sight.
It took Darius a few seconds to reorient himself. He realized what held him as he heard Xanar’s call, a call that sounded far too distant. He tried to look back, saw the ground far beneath him instead, and felt his stomach tighten further. As much as the dragon’s vise-like grip hurt him, he suddenly took odd comfort in it. The alternative was a great fall, and he
was sure the snow wasn’t deep enough to sufficiently cushion his landing. His captor was, for the time being, his lifeline.
He thought of his sword, unsure of whether he wanted to try to use it, but both his arms were pinned regardless. Wisps of cloud swirled by as they went higher, and the cold, enhanced by the altitude and the speed of the dragon, bit ferociously at his exposed face. He could feel the numbness setting into his hands and feet. He couldn’t survive the drop, didn’t know how long he could survive the flight, and wasn’t sure the dragon cared in any case. His mind raced, searching for options.
* * *
They stood for a long time, staring skyward, stunned by the speed at which their friend had been taken. Their weapons were out but of no avail. Finally Barlow put Gabriel back in its sheath, the metal-on-metal sound stirring the others.
“It was heading due north, as far as my eyes could track it,” Uesra said.
“Is that the only clue we have as to where its lair might be?” Silas asked.
“I’m afraid so. I’ve heard of the ice dragon, but never seen it. I do not know where it lives.”
Barlow shook his head. “Not much to go on.”
“If it turns east or west…” Adrianna said. “It’ll be like the needle in the haystack.”
“It can’t expect that we’d follow,” Uesra said. “Probably thinks we’re running for our lives right now. Right or wrong, we’ll assume it went directly back. And there are only so many miles to Myzor’s Cleft. Let’s just hope it doesn’t live on the other side.”
“Didn’t know there was one,” Silas said.
Uesra shrugged. “No one knows. But it’s possible.”
“Well, we won’t find it by standing here talking,” Xanar said, in a tone far more serious than his new acquaintances had ever heard from the elf. “Let’s get going.” He pushed through the deepening snow as quickly as he could, feeling time was already running short.