The Darkness Within (A Lythinall Novel) (Book 2)

by Michael Nadeau

  "He did promise that there would be a contingent of guards there too guys." Even as Kari said it she knew it wouldn't help them feel better. They had to be prepared for anything, no matter what the King said. They were street kids first, so they knew all about promises that went sour, or plans that went south when you least expect them to.

  "Don't forget Lan will be there. He is almost a knight!" Sprout added, kicking her feet back and forth from atop the crate she was sitting on. "Why did we come down here again anyway. Can't we talk about this up at the castle?"

  "Hush Sprout. So do we vote?" Vance didn't know what he was going to do. The King had been so good to them, but he didn't want to die.

  "Yes, the three of us. Sprout is awesome, but a little young to cast her voice in something like this yet." Kari had a bad feeling that she was the swing vote, and that their lives were in her hands. Either way, their lives would change forever after this day. If they voted no, then they would flee the castle at first light and not look back, if they voted yes, then they would stay and hold the gate. Gods above she missed Lan right now. There wouldn't even be a vote if he were here. She didn't want to be responsible for their fate so she just blurted it out. "I'll go first. Yes." She held her breath.

  "No." Vance was quick and precise. There was no doubt that if he stayed he would die. He had that bad feeling in his gut, just like back when Meri died.

  Tomas looked around at both of them with a hurt look on his face. Now he was the vote that could damn or deliver them. He scowled and shook his head to clear it. Like that ever helped. "Yes." He saw Vance's face fall and had to look away. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave after all this city has done for me Vance." He turned and looked at his old friend and tried a weak smile. "You could leave though, we won't say anything, will we Kari?"

  "No Tomas, it was all or nothing. It's all right I understand." He shivered and it had nothing to do with the wind. "So it's settled. We will stay and hold the North gate."

  "Yay! We can be heroes!" Sprout was excited to be a hero. She had always been too small before to be one. What should I use as a weapon? She thought, as she jumped down and got ready to go back to the castle.

  Kari laughed as they started back, but her mirth was forced. Sprout would be crushed when she found out that they were leaving her at the castle with the other littles. She would hate them for awhile, but she would be alive.

  She remembered King Arian saying that the G'harran's would be here soon so they had to be ready in two to three days. She knew they had to get fitted for armor tonight or tomorrow morning so she picked up the pace. Once this was over, if they lived, she was going to have strong words with whatever God was responsible for her life.

  "What are you thinking about Kari?" Sprout asked as she bounced alongside her friends.

  "Nothing Sprout, just thinking of who I get to blame for all of this."

  Northern Bridge, Central Lythinall

  Rhoe stared at the gap where the bridge used to be and a shiver ran down his spine. He remembered falling down into the river like it was yesterday. It wasn't all that long ago anyway, but still. There was a half finished structure in place, but with the threat of war, the workers were called back to the city to prepare. He looked at Karsis and saw that he too was in some sort of contemplation. Probably enjoying the silence, Gods above know we bugged him long enough. He thought, as he chuckled to himself. They had left Everknight two days ago, and he and Liss wasted no time in pelting the bard with questions about his secret identity. They had asked all the things that they could think of, then five more just for good measure, and like some sort of saint, Karsis just smiled and answered them all. The big one was how old he actually was, and the answer seemed unreal. The man, or elf, was over six hundred years old.

  After that, they had started going over more magic studies. Karsis went over more on Rhoe's Sight and what not to do, and Rhoe told him some of the things that happened in the castle, like when Othren attacked. He seemed intrigued about that one, but said he had to think about it before he commented more. Rhoe also noticed Liss paying close attention to whatever Karsis had to say on the subject of magic.

  "Long way down now that the waters have receded huh?" Liss nudged Rhoe out of his silent thoughts and smiled as he turned to look at her. When they had fallen down to the river before, it was swollen with the spring rains. Now it was a bit more calm as it neared summer. "How we getting over that anyway, Air?"

  "She thinks she knows magic now?" Karsis laughed and spun away towards the horses. "Well do us all a trifle and call us up some air to walk on, would you dear?" He really didn't mind her enthusiasm, but he needed her to know that it wasn't possible. Worse than that, he couldn't tell her why without more hidden things coming to light, and he just wasn't ready for another question and answer session.

  Liss straightened up and squared her shoulders. The defiant streak in her was from her mother, and she embraced it fully. She turned and looked out over the chasm and closed her eyes.

  "Karsis maybe we shouldn't let....

  "Quiet Rhoe and watch." Karsis admonished quietly. He was impressed with her determination and wanted her to really try. It had to be real so when she failed she knew it wasn't anything else.

  Liss tried to remember the elven words that they used when they were training, but didn't want to guess wrong. She only could recall the beginning word for please. She took a deep breath.

  "Ash'anti air, hold me up." She felt a breeze and took a step off the edge, and promptly fell forward.

  Rhoe saw that she was going to step off, even though he felt no strong wind coming to her aid. Strangely enough, he did feel the air stir in response, but it was like they couldn't quite hear her. He lunged as she fell and grabbed her arm, pulling her back before she went over. "I've got you."

  "Now that was actually quite good Princess, good form indeed. Now please mount up and let's get moving." He patted her on the back sincerely as she tried to catch her breath, then vaulted up into the saddle and called for the wind to hold them as they crossed the gap. He urged the horse forward and the great beast stopped at the edge. He sighed and placed his hand over its eyes, then urged it onward again. Reluctantly it took a step, and then another, finally walking across the wide span.

  Rhoe jumped up on his horse and saw Liss do the same, then they both covered the horses eyes and followed Karsis. Once across they pushed the horses a little faster following the River Winding northwest. Karsis knew of another faerie ring where the river splits just south of Havenar. They were travelling to the faeries to pay their respects to Lurien, then from there they were taking another faerie ring to the far northern Watching Woods. This part was going to be difficult, as they had no way of knowing where Dar'Krist was, other than coming south out of the Northern Belt. After that they were going to take something Karsis called the Silversword Pass to cross the Snow Peak Mountains.

  "Karsis? Can the horses go through the mushroom rings?" It hadn't occurred to Liss that they might not fit until now. She felt stupid asking, but she was always curious about things that were new to her.

  "Actually that is a good question Allissana. Yes they can. Once they step in, they will be magically transported as if they were completely in the ring, but we're not taking them with us. When we get to the ring I'm going to send them back to Everknight." He looked at her as they rode and smiled. He remembered, back when he was learning, all of the stupid questions he had asked. Boy were there a lot of those. They rode for the rest of the day asking him about how the city will fare, and how the G'harran's will act when they get here, and he tried his best to lie to make them feel better. If they didn't get the elves to come fight, then the city was going to fall and it would be a fight to just survive after that.

  Rhoe was about to ask if they were there yet, just to break the tension of the past couple of hours, when Karsis held up his hand for them to stop. Rhoe reflexively slid off his horse and took up a wide stance, ready for anything. Then her heard Karsis laugh.
r />   "Rhoe, while I appreciate your vigilance. all I meant was that we were here."

  Rhoe looked at Karsis with an aggravated look, but ended up laughing when he saw how innocent the bard looked. "All right so I'm the paranoid one now, it happens when you get slammed into a stone wall."

  Liss looked around but didn't see any signs of a mushroom ring like she used the last time. "Is it disguised by some sort of concealing spell Karsis?" She dismounted and walked around trying to see if it was hidden.

  "No, nothing so sophisticated my dear." He slid off his horse and held the reins as he patted the great beast affectionately, then turned back to her inquisitive search. This she inherited from Arian, and it makes me feel very old indeed watching her. He thought as he let her wander a bit more in search of something she just wasn't going to find. "It's placed in a out of the way location so that passersby can't stumble upon it by accident."

  Rhoe smiled at the challenge and started to look himself. It was like a treasure hunt, and it took his mind off of the journey ahead. Then he smelled rotting meat and saw something move just out of the corner of his eye and dove for the water. The Wolvren just missed him and clamped down on a small bush instead. The beast ripped it free and Rhoe saw him spin towards him once more. The young monk was horrified to see two broken spears sticking out of its shoulder and leg. This was the same monster!

  "Rhoe, back away and don't use magic!" Karsis yelled, drawing his own slim sword and racing to get in front of the beast. He saw how mangled it looked and the evil determination in its eyes. How it found them was anybody's guess. "Not today foul beast!" He challenged as he slid in front and slashed quickly, catching it on the snout.

  He looked and saw Liss frozen with fear, a first time to be sure by all the accounts he had heard, but after seeing Rhoe taken apart by this thing, he didn't fault her. A Wolvren was twice the size of a large wolf, and had the temperament of a one-armed, blind beggar on an empty street. They are mean and cruel, but should never attack a force stronger than itself, and this one was still wounded from the fight with Rhoe and Liss outside of River Vale.

  Rhoe saw Liss and made his way around Karsis to her, but saw the beast follow his movements precisely. This wasn't good. Hells, this wasn't even bad, it was worse than that. "Liss, can you hear me?" He called, staying where he was. "You've got to pull Deathsong."

  She couldn't breathe, could barely stand. The Wolvren was there again and it was tearing into Rhoe. She was powerless to stop it and could only stare, as the one she had started to love was ripped from her. Then she heard Rhoe calling to her and she came out of her daze. He wasn't lost yet! She gritted her teeth and pulled the sword, hearing it almost howl in anticipation of battling this thing again. "I'm all right now, thanks." She started to move closer with measured steps, still shaking but in control. Gods above what would Carana think? She thought as she tried to stop the tremor in her hands.

  The Wolvren started actually backing up a bit faced with them all against it, and that's when Karsis pounced. He slashed once, twice, then a straight lunge that took the beast in the eye. "Have at thee!" He yelled playfully, as the beast shook his head to free it from the sword. Blood sprayed on the air and it howled it's deathly song of murder. Karsis fell and rolled backwards as it swiped a claw at him, then came up to his feet, only to see it had turned on Liss. "Come back, I've only just started." As it stalked the Princess, he looked at Rhoe and wondered again what the boy had done the last time. "You said you didn't cast magic at it last time Rhoe, correct?"

  "Correct, I asked the water to hold us up so we could walk on it to get away from this thing, and then cancelled it before he could use it too." He couldn't explain why he never tried magic on the Wolvren, it just didn't seem right at the time.

  "Now think hard Rhoe....did he sniff the water afterwards?" This could be bad. Not the fun kind of bad, where he had to leap out of a second story building because someone's husband came home, either.

  I remember that the beast skidded to a halt on the opposite bank, howling its rage, then it sniffed the water and grinned. "Would it be bad if I said yes?" He thought furiously as to what could've happened when the wolf sniffed the water and grinned. It grinned! "Oh Gods Karsis, it has my scent!"

  Karsis was too worried to be impressed at his young protégé. This thing had sniffed the boys magic on purpose so that it could find him again. What am I missing? He thought, as Liss swung again at the Wolvren and nicked it's shoulder. He thought about what he had seen when he first saw signs of the beast and then it hit him. "It's not a Wolvren!"

  Liss heard him, but had no time to capitalize on the revelation, not that she knew what the Hells that meant anyway. She backed up once more, taking a claw to the side as Rhoe launched a kick to the things face, snapping it's head around. Her father's ring would keep her alive, but it still hurt something awful! "Does this mean that you can make this thing stop trying to kill me now? That would be great."

  Rhoe rolled and came down with a knife hand to its neck, then barely leapt back as it came around with another claw. It hadn't tried to bite them yet....odd. The next time that it howled from the sting of Deathsong, Rhoe looked in its mouth and saw why. It seemed that a small piece of spear was logged in its mouth, preventing it from really biting down hard. "If he doesn't, I can." Rhoe said with determination. Fighting this thing once was bad enough, but twice...

  Karsis needed more time. "By all means my young friend, if you can finish this go right ahead, I need to think." He remembered the remains of the hunter. Start there. Why did he assume it was a hunter. Because it was deep in the woods? Probably. Novice. He mentally kicked himself for assuming anything, but conceded that he was still in shock from Irilyn's death. Was it wearing a black cloak? Was there even enough remains for a whole body? They don't kill for food, just for the sheer evil pleasure of killing. Then Karsis heard Rhoe scream and had to stop his contemplation for the moment.

  Rhoe waved Liss back, knowing that this thing had his scent. It wanted him. "Come on then, you want me that bad? Come and get me." He waited and spun out of the way of the first and second claws, pirouetting and coming around with his foot, but not across. Instead his foot came down in an arc and hit the Wolvren, or whatever it was, right on the head. Hard. Its head hit the ground and it whimpered, but before it could rise, Rhoe came around and brought his fist straight down on its head with a scream of fury. The sound of the small spear piercing through the beasts head was like seeing a rainbow for the first time, and then he felt the body go limp beneath him.

  "Was that all it took?" Not that Liss doubted his fighting prowess, she had seen him stand against the Incarnation of Death, but that seemed too easy.

  "Hopefully it will stay dead this time." Rhoe said a little breathlessly. It took a lot of footwork to not get hit by those wild claws. It helped that he remembered being mauled by them before so there was some extra motivation.

  Karsis almost had it, then he heard Rhoe. "Stay dead?" He looked at what he suspected and saw the tail twitch. "Oh I don't think so sir." He stepped forward and slid his sword into the things neck and out its face, then slid it sideways just to be sure. "Now burn it with normal fire just to be final."

  "So what is it Karsis?" Liss slid a now clean Deathsong into its scabbard and leaned on Rhoe for a minute. He was trying to get a flint out of his sling bag, but she just wanted to be in his arms.

  "Well, I suspect that this used to be a sorcerer. Rumor had it years ago that they were delving into lycanthropy with horrible results, and the last I heard they had abandoned it all together. Until I saw how this thing focused on Rhoe. No Wolvren would've acted like this one had, both times in fact. Add to the fact that it sniffed up your scent, and survived to track you down and I have to think that someone finally figured out how to become a werewolvren."

  "That's it, now I've heard everything. I thought it was bad enough that we saw a unicorn, but a werewolvren?" Liss was stupefied. This was almost beyond her comprehension, but she was trying to
understand Rhoe's world. The world that she had always read about as a child but now, impossibly, she was living. Magic, Faeries, and even monsters that stalked you in the night, and she wouldn't trade one minute of it all.

  "Well, nothing to be done about it now." Karsis exclaimed as he watched the beast start to burn. It caught quickly and burned like it was soaked in oil. He turned to the kids and smiled, "Now let's be off to see Lurien, I owe her my condolences." He walked to the edge of the river and whispered so that his steps would be held aloft and crossed the fast moving flow to the middle of them both. Once he was between the two rivers, he walked to the point where they split and beckoned to Liss and Rhoe.

  Rhoe grabbed Liss and asked the water to harden so that they could both cross and saw Karsis raise his brow in surprise. He smiled and walked to where the bard was waiting.

  "Well done Rhoe, quick thinking and intuitive. She needed to cross as well and that was the best way for the both of you to do so. I would ask how you came up with that idea, but you would just say 'It came to you' Wouldn't you?" He watched the boy nod sheepishly and smile. This one was going to be fun when they got to the elves. "Anyway, were here."

  Liss looked at where they were stopped and couldn't think of a more mesmerizing place to be. The River Winding came out of the north like a fury and split right where they were. The main flow headed towards the Misty Woods, and the other spilled down a short fall to the Shield Mountains. They stood there under that short fall and saw Karsis wave his hand at the waterfall. It moved as if it was a curtain and she saw a glorious cavern beyond, glittering with sparkling stones and hanging moss. "Gods Above Karsis, It's beautiful!"