Freamhaigh

by Donald D. Allan

  Tibert looked back at the island just as a deep rumble shook the area. Almost immediately, the top blew off the island. Before Tibert could gasp, a second larger explosion erupted up from the second, rising impossibly high up into the air. A force, not unlike a fierce wind, struck the longboat and tossed it high up into the air. Tibert sailed through the air just as two more explosions rocked the island. He had flashing images of his team flying free through the air and one of a massive ball of fire erupting high into the sky and for a moment he thought them beautiful.

  Another massive force struck Tibert as he fell, and he went unconscious before hitting the water.

  Eight

  Between Cala and Salt Lake City, December 901 A.C.

  DOG KEPT HIS distance from his quarry. He could smell the two men and Katherine in the slight breeze that blew in cold from the east. He could smell their sweat, fear, and urine. He was worried for Katherine. She was unconscious, and her thoughts gone. He could feel the effects of whatever they were giving her bleed across his bond to her and he struggled to fight it. It dragged him from the world back to Gaea and he was lost somewhere in between. Katherine, he believed, would be completely lost unless he managed to get her away from the men.

  The past couple of months confused him. He wondered sometimes about his awareness of time. Time was a concept foreign to him and it had taken Katherine a long time to get him to understand the basics of it. Now, he fought to keep memories of the past clear from his present. And he worried about the future. He hated it but understood it was part of who he was.

  When Gaea had severed his and Katherine’s tie to her, they had fallen into a new kind of reality. At first it had seemed so barren and empty. Now he smelt smells almost for the first time. The world seemed much more real to him. With the gift Katherine had given him he could now reason and think. And talk, he panted to himself. Talking is amazing. So much better to be able to say feed me than looking at her and waiting for her to understand.

  He continued to talk to Katherine across their bond. He spoke to her as if she was beside him and, in many ways, she was. Dog knew that they were now one, and not two. The bad times after Gaea severed them were a blur. They could sense what both Gaea and Erebus were. They were everywhere. And they could use them. Access their power and use it as they wanted. Katherine called it ‘intoxicating’, he remembered proudly.

  Then they became truly lost in the power. He remembered going into Cala. The men at the gate had said something wrong. Or Katherine did. He couldn’t remember what had happened, but he remembered the burning white-hot anger that had sparked within her. They killed many people after that. He didn’t know if they deserved it. He felt the strange emotion go through him once again. A sinking, bad feeling, that dropped his tail between his legs and made him feel like a pup. I was a bad dog.

  He sniffed the air and then moved forward behind the thick bushes before the tree line. To his right was the hard path. Katherine had called it a road. He reasoned their movement must have packed the ground hard like a deer trail, but wider. People always make changes. They change everything around them. But they have food and give it to me, he thought fondly. I like that. I like people.

  He found his memories drifting back to the past again. He never thought of the past, but now he always seemed to. This was a long-ago memory, he thought. He remembered Gaea telling him to meet his wolf brothers. He hadn’t wanted to, but she was the all-mother. He had obeyed. The wolves hadn’t liked him, but he had exposed his belly and throat and they had allowed him to follow. Together they had followed men, much like he was following these men who had Katherine. Is that why I am remembering?

  Back then they had waited while the men tied a young man up. Gaea had told them he was important, and they were to save him. They waited and then, when one of the men was injured, they had attacked. It had been hard for him to do that, he remembered. Dogs don’t attack people. Never. That is bad, bad, bad. He remembered feeling the shame, but he had joined the wolf brothers. Gaea demanded it. They had killed the bad men and freed the young man, but one wolf had died.

  Will, he thought fondly, and proud he knew his name. My first human friend. We hunted together. He fed me good food and rubbed my belly.

  Later he met Katherine and Gaea told him to stay with her. He had accepted that willingly. He had loved her at first sniff. She understood him better than any human. And now she was captured and unconscious and he felt very angry at these bad men. He suppressed a need to growl and sniffed at the air once again. He needed to free her like he did for Will. But I am alone this time, he thought. One wolf had died.

  He shook himself. I am coming, Katherine. Be patient. I am alone, but I will do it. I will be a bad dog for you.

  He waited for a reply, but as always, she was silent.

  He chuffed to himself when he remembered his new powers. It frightened him, but when he used it he felt so much stronger. He felt unstoppable. He was the lead wolf. He didn’t need to show his belly and throat. But using the power was hard. He had to do strange things within his head. Make it work in a way that made no sense to him.

  He tried now and watched the world grow sharper. His vision filled with light and colour that highlighted smells and brought objects in sharp detail. He saw many more colours than he normally could, and he loved it. He could push his vision beyond what he could normally see. When Katherine was awake, he could see what she saw. He liked that especially when she looked back at him. He could feel her love then stronger than ever. We are pack. We protect each other. Always.

  He felt loneliness threaten to overwhelm him again, and he struggled to push the thoughts aside. That leads to bad times, I must resist. Katherine needs me. Without her on the other side of the bond reaching back to him it was hard to stay clear headed. He wanted to wander away and lose himself in the strange new world. But Katherine needs me. It was getting harder to stay focused. He had to do something soon or he would be lost forever.

  Night was coming. He could feel the world around him shifting to change to night. Trees and plants slowed down. Petals closed, and leaves curled. Birds and animals went to their hiding places. Other animals stirred from day sleep. Dog could sense it all. And he knew he could reach out and destroy it all if he wanted.

  What am I? he thought for the first time and stopped in his tracks. The thought came so suddenly and unexpectedly. I was a dog. An animal. Not a person. But what am I now?

  He felt a moment of panic and whined. He looked left and right, and for a moment, he was lost, unsure where he was or why. Panic swirled and stabbed at him and he felt the need to urinate hard and fast. He groped for anything to anchor him and saw the bright white bond that continued to burn bright between himself and Katherine. He reached across the bond and felt Katherine’s heartbeat, rapid and weak, but still pounding. He felt himself calm and rubbed his muzzle hard against the frost covered grass. The cold snapped him back to his task, and he lifted his nose and sniffed the strong odour of the men a short run away.

  I am losing myself, he realised. I have to free Katherine and wake her. Together we are one. Without her I am nothing.

  He thought again of how he and the wolves had attacked the men who had held Will. They had sensed weakness and struck without fear or thought. They knew when it was right and that was it. But these men were not weak, and Dog was unsure. They had captured Katherine despite her power. Now she was defenceless, and he worried he would fail.

  He peered out through a gap in the bushes and using his power he brought his vision closer to watch the men. They had built a small, smokeless fire, in an area with a wind-break from thick pine trees. The men worked together setting up a shelter of some kind. A small pot hung over the fire, and Dog smelt a meat stew of some kind. He salivated at the thought of eating that stew. He had been catching mice and swallowing them whole. At first, he had pooped painful watery poop, but now he was used to it. He could use his power to kill them easily and eat them up. He was tempted to do the same to th
e squirrels and rabbits, but he wanted a fair fight with them.

  The men had Katherine sitting on the ground with her back to a barren tree. Once their shelter was made one of the men moved over to her and did something with her eyes. He peeled back the lids and stared at her for a long time. If he focused his power Dog found he could hear what they said.

  “She needs another dose,” said the one by Katherine. Dog had heard the other call him Ethan. The other one was called Bill.

  “Alright, give me a moment.”

  “No. Now. We can’t risk her waking.”

  Bill looked over from where he was tasting the stew and Dog could see his eyebrows scrunch down. “I’m frozen and starving. It can wait a minute or two.”

  “Idiot,” growled Ethan. “If she wakes we’re dead.” He strode over to their backpacks and started to rummage through one. “We dose her on schedule. Erebus was clear. Her eye whites are almost clear. You know the signs.”

  “Fine, you do it then. Do you want a bowl?”

  Ethan looked over to Bill. “No. Eat your share and give me the pot. Washing bowls pisses me off.” Ethan found what he was looking for and pulled out a large bag. Dog has seen this before. It contained the purple sand that they routinely gave Katherine throughout the day. Ethan walked over to Katherine and opened the bag. He reached in and lifted out a small measuring cup. He shook the excess purple sand off the measure and then tilted Katherine’s head back and forced her mouth open.

  Dog could see sparkling lights burst off the purple sand. They called it Life Salt, he remembered. The sparks rose high into the air and swirled with the winds. It was mesmerising, and Dog could see the massive power that radiated from it. It was a concentration of the power he wielded with Katherine. How it made her unconscious, Dog did not understand. He could see that Katherine pulsed with the power and yet she would not wake.

  Ethan poured the salt into Katherine’s mouth and then closed it and pinched her nose. She swallowed the salt and then did not move. Ethan left her and returned the measure into the pouch and put it back into the backpack. He rose and joined Bill by the fire.

  “First watch is yours. Wake me early again tonight and I’ll punch you, see if I won’t,” he said to Bill.

  Bill laughed. “How long till you realised?”

  “An hour, damn you. You’re lucky I didn’t wake you there and then.”

  “Just like old times.”

  “Old times, right? Cac times, more like it. Gillespie was a right dunderhead. Dunno why we followed him like we did.”

  “He promised us wealth. Remember?”

  “Oh, right,” Ethan said and laughed.

  “Get out the whiskey, will you?”

  “Grand idea, one moment,” replied Ethan and went over to the packs and pulled out a ceramic bottle. Dog could hear liquid sloshing inside and knew the men would be drinking it soon. It made them laugh harder and talk louder and then move strangely afterwards.

  Ethan pulled the cork from the bottle with his teeth and spat it into his hand and pocketed it in his thick winter tunic. He tilted the bottle back and took a large swig. He swallowed and then gasped and wiped at his eyes.

  “By the Word, this stuff is strong,” he exclaimed, and Dog could see him shudder.

  “Give it over, you light-weight, the stuff is bloody strong. It's cheap, but gets the job done.”

  Ethan stared at the bottle a moment and took another swig before swapping the bottle for the pot of stew and a wooden spoon. Bill took a long pull and then gasped for air after he swallowed. “Bloody hell,” Bill gushed when he could breathe.

  “Who’s the light-weight now?” he laughed around a mouthful of hot stew.

  “Piss off,” laughed Bill. “This stuff is the dregs of the barrels. A blend they call it as if that makes it sound better. Cheap as peas though. And like I said, gets you just as drunk. Why pay more to get drunk?”

  “Truer words were never spoken.”

  Dog pulled his senses back and then swept the area using his power for any threats. There was nothing around for miles, except for a few foxes, deer, and rabbits. And those mice, they are everywhere running through little tunnels under the snow and dirt, he thought.

  The wind shifted, and he sniffed the air as the temperature seemed to drop. Snow, he knew. It will fall long and thick. Dog drew in power to warm himself and, as always, he sent it to Katherine to keep her warm.

  Dog no longer needed to sleep. He had grown used to not needing it and didn’t miss sleep all that much. Except for the dreams, he thought. I loved to chase and chase in my dreams. He watched as Bill settled down to sleep after he had woken Ethan to relieve him. Once Bill started snoring, Dog knew Ethan would drink again from the bottle. Dog had watched the same routine night after night.

  The snow had been falling for a few hours. The flakes were thick and heavy and covered everything. The men had cursed when it started but then gave up complaining and accepted it. A half foot of snow had accumulated now but all-around Dog the snow was clear where he sat on dry grass. He was warm, and more mice digested in his stomach. He had discovered he could lure the mice over to him. He hadn’t even needed to move. He wondered then if he even needed to eat anymore, but he dismissed that idea. He loved to swallow meat. It was his favourite thing to do. He thought of how he could get more meat. I could follow a deer and eat that. I could make one come to me.

  An idea came to him then; which surprised him. Dog was not a planner. He had never been. The ability to plan a course of action was as foreign to him as walking upright on his hind legs. But he imagined a future, a series of actions he could take, and the likely results of those actions and followed it through until a likely end. An end where the men were dead, and he and Katherine were together again. He panted and thought the idea through again, this time thinking of different results, but again it came to the same end.

  Dog stood up. He opened up his powers and shifted his vision forward until he felt he was standing in the camp. He looked at Ethan and watched him place another log on the fire before sitting on a rock in front of it. He held out one hand to warm it and clutched his bottle with the other. Dog reached out with his power and made Ethan lean forward to put his hand in the flames.

  To Dog’s delight, Ethan did just that. He cried out and jumped up and then pushed his hand into the snow. Bill grumbled in his sleep under the shelter and pulled his bed roll up higher to his chin. Dog could see Ethan had tears rolling down his face. Dog knew that it meant he was upset. Katherine did that all the time.

  Ethan pulled his hand from the snow and stared at it. “I’m so stupid,” he moaned. “Too drunk. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”

  Dog could see that the hand was barely touched. It was a little red, but that was all. Dog was pleased. He could do this, all by himself. Soon Katherine and he would be together again. He pushed what little remained of his fear and doubt aside and then threw his power at Ethan.

  Dog tried to take control of Ethan. As soon as he did Ethan threw back his head to cry out, but Dog allowed no sound to escape. Dog struggled to control the body and directed Ethan to rise to his feet. He lifted Ethan off the ground, but then lost him and he fell forward to the ground. The bottle the man carried slipped from his grasp and landed heavy in the snow. He felt Ethan try to take back control and roll over, but he stopped him. Ethan lay still on the ground with his face buried in the snow.

  Dog was using a lot of power. He could not figure out how to use it for what he wanted. He thought then that perhaps he should stop, but he had already started. Part of him, the new part that could think better than he could before, seemed to want to bring his attention to something. Something simple, but it eluded Dog.

  He reached out to try to move Ethan over on to his side when he felt a presence behind him. He let go of Ethan and spun around growling. A few yards away he could see Erebus standing there watching him. Dog growled low and deep and bared his teeth. He could smell nothing of the figure, but his eyes and senses told him he
was there.

  Erebus was formed from much the same thing as Gaea was. He didn’t belong in this world. Dog could see it and sense it but it was difficult without Katherine to ground him to the world. Erebus shimmered in his sight. Dog stepped one step closer and was pleased to see Erebus step back.

  Prey, thought Dog. He is prey. He growled again and then darted forward to attack. He leapt high aiming for the throat. He could see the eyes of Erebus widen in fear and Dog felt satisfaction ripple through him. Just as Dog was about to close his jaws on Erebus, he broke apart. With his vision he could see the motes that Erebus was disintegrating into and dispersing into the wind.

  Dog landed and looked back at where Erebus had been standing. He was gone, frightened off, and Dog felt satisfaction and confidence. He sniffed the cold air and smelled the two men. They were both awake now and afraid. Ethan was talking to Bill and showing him his hand.

  “She’s awake, check her!” said Ethan.

  “You’re drunk, you idiot. We dosed her already. Look at her! Ya fell in the fire! Anyway, it’s hardly a burn at all. You’re a baby!”

  “It hurts! And I’m not drunk!” Ethan staggered a bit. “Well, yes, but no more than usual. I can handle my liquor. This was something else, I tell you! I couldn’t move!”

  Dog watched Bill move over to Katherine and check her eyes. “She’s out. The whites are bright red. It’s not her, it’s the booze.”

  “Damn you, Bill. Listen to me! It’s her! We have to kill her! It’s her or us!”

  “Are ye daft? That creature wants her. I’m more afraid of him than her.”

  “He’s not here right now, he’s in Munsten. We have to kill her and run! We saw what she did in Cala. That will be us!”

  “No, she’s dosed. Out cold. Just like Erebus said she would be.”