A Soul of Steel

by Troy A Hill

  The odour of mould and rotten flesh fouled the air. A few were old, nothing but grey bones clad in scraps of fabric. The others were in various state of decomposition. A dead man tottered toward me, its white skull adorned with only one grey eye and wisps of grey hair on a tattered piece of scalp. Another more substantial corpse shuffled toward Emlyn.

  Emlyn impaled one with Medwyll, but it swung at him again. He dropped low and plunged Corff into its belly. But the undead continued to fight.

  I drew Soul and pumped it full of The Lady’s energy. Just like the magic had harmed the shifter, I hoped it would be effective against the magic of these undead. White Skull and two more of the shuffling undead made slow lunges at me. Some flesh still to their bones, but not much. I sliced Soul, glowing white, between the neck bones. One skull flew into the brush. The corpse rattled as it collapsed into a pile.

  “Aim for the neck,” I hissed at Emlyn.

  He shifted tactics and used Medwyll to parry a blow from a wooden club, more a hunk of deadfall than a real weapon. He cleaved Corff into the shambling dead man’s neck. It took two blows to separate head from body. Then it, too, dropped, lifeless once again. But more pressed in on us.

  But where had this small army come from? Dead just didn’t rise from the graves. Was that shifter connected somehow? This had to be the work of some wizard. I’d never heard of shifter wizards. Most wizards kept a low profile. But, someone had to have done this. Who were they? Where were they? Hiding in the night beyond my senses?

  We faced the last of the mob. Emlyn blocked a slow blow, then I knocked the head from the corpse with my enchanted blade. The glow from my sword illuminated the surrounding dead.

  “We need to backtrack them,” Emlyn said, “and find out where they came from.”

  I felt a familiar tingle in my mind, so I raised a hand to stop him. I suspected that tonight was about to get even more interesting.

  “We’ve found the scent and tracked the beast to another farmstead,” Gwen sent.

  “Emlyn and I just found some walking corpses,” I replied. “And graves. Empty ones. We had to kill about a score the undead. Well, kill them again.”

  “Oh, dear! That will have to wait,” Gwen replied, adopting Rhian’s favourite exclamation. “We may need your help. Let me try to share my vision.”

  “We’re on our way,” I replied and gave Emlyn a very short summary. “I see a farmhouse,” I responded to Gwen.

  The vision was dim. Night had fallen, and the moon had not risen yet. The dark washed out the colours. Only the yellow glow that leaked through the shutters broke up the grey shadows of the night. Gwen’s eyes were only human. Had I been there, I could have made out much more detail with my undead vision. But, for now, I was limited by Gwen’s humanity.

  As they edged closer and closer to the farm, Gwen saw details. An animal pen and shed stood to their left and a small mud brick cottage to the right. Dim light of a lamp or fire in the hearth leaked out around the door and shuttered window. Unfortunately, sight was the only sense of Gwen’s we were sharing. I’d love to hear what she could. Or, rather what Ruadh’s keen shifter ears heard. But, I wasn’t sure Gwen had a spell to help with that.

  Emlyn led the way for me at a quick jog. With my mind sharing Gwen’s vision, I kept my eyes on his back and stayed close. Disorientating was the only way to describe seeing through both Gwen’s and my own eyes at the same time.

  Ruadh crept closer to the farm house but stayed to the side. He gave the animal pen a wide berth. Probably to avoid disturbing them and giving them a cause to cry out.

  “They are close to the house,” I told Emlyn as we continued our trek back.

  Ruadh’s bulky shape hunched before Gwen. The northlander pointed to the edge of another grove on the far side of the farm house.

  Gwen’s eyes followed where Ruadh gestured. She found what he had noticed. A figure, larger than a human, with odd shaped legs, and long arms, edged toward the small building. It reminded me of the shifter that had almost killed Bleddyn.

  Whatever it was crept closer to the farmhouse. It hesitated every other pace. Step... Pause... It turned its head, like an animal sniffing for predators.

  Gwen’s eyes jerked back to Ruadh. He worked his shoulders through the opening in his tunic. The cloth dropped to a pile around his feet, along with his belt, which he had loosened. He had trousers on, which he kept tied around him, but he eased his boots off.

  Gwen’s gaze shifted to watch the figure creep up to the house. It eased up to the door. She glimpsed its furry head in the golden glow that leaked out around the wooden boards; half-bear, half-man. The shifter. A breeze rustled Ruadh’s hair. The hair on his back and shoulders was standing on end, like that on the back of an angry dog.

  Her eyes darted back to the farmhouse door. The creature raised its head toward them. It sniffed the air. Its eyes looked directly at my friends. The shifter bared its fangs, but turned and fled into the dark.

  Ruadh sprang forward. His legs elongated as he ran. His hands lengthened into long, fat fingers tipped with claws. Gwen ran with him, but fell behind with each step.

  “He caught their scent,” I said to Emlyn. “Ruadh is chasing the creature.”

  “How close are we?” he asked.

  “Too far,” I said. Emlyn ducked off the path and waved me on.

  “Go!” he said.

  “How will you—?”

  “I’ll catch up. Ruadh never fights quietly, he growls and snarls. A lot,” he said. His hand on my back gave a push. “Go, you’re faster.”

  He was correct. I poked my demon and pulled undead speed from her. I could tell Gwen’s path and direction through our link and I set a straight course to intercept them. The sound of Emlyn’s run faded as the forest flew by me. Between Ruadh and me, that creature would meet its doom tonight.

  51

  Surprise

  Ruadh outdistanced Gwen, but I followed her path with our mental link. Running was difficult while I tried to pay attention to both her vision through our link, and my own vision as I wove through the trees and brush. Branches smacked me several times as I paid more attention to what Gwen saw. The rogue shifter was leading them away from the farmstead, back into the valley, toward Emlyn and me.

  Perhaps he knew we were there. Or perhaps he hoped to escape through the graves we just discovered. But Ruadh kept intercepting him, steering him toward the valley wall. The rogue shifter had to take a ledge-like path along the hillside.

  My dress caught on a thick patch of brambles. I twisted and jerked to free myself. The branch of a young tree walloped me in the side of the head, almost knocking me off my feet. Had I been human, I would be streaked in blood by now. But my undead magic healed my flesh as I ran. Mortal wounds didn’t concern me. But those shifter claws did. I remembered the pain of the slashes it had given me back in that cave. The damage I’d taken had unchained my demon. That damage took me very, very close to turning on my new friends. I couldn’t let that happen again.

  I altered my charge toward the hillside where Ruadh chased the shifter. The cliff was climbable if one had a desire. Lots of handholds in the rough rock. Not overly high, but higher than I wanted to jump. Better to follow them up the path.

  In the distance Ruadh growled as he chased the other shifter up the path. Emlyn was correct about how he fought.

  The hillside was steep, and the rocks were loose. It was climbable, but dangerous. With Emlyn still a few moments behind me, I needed to decide: take the risky way up the wall, or the longer, safer path. I wasn’t sure how stable the rock face was. Better to take a moment longer than cause a slide in the loose rock and have to start all over. Despite Ruadh’s ideas, I wasn’t one for climbing unless I had to.

  The cliff face gave way to a slope. The ledge was wide here, perhaps a dozen paces across. Ahead it bent toward the left. Ruadh and the creature were out of my sight again. I pulled Gwen’s vision into my mind. Ruadh and the other shifter spun in a mass of fur and claws, thrashi
ng about near the edge. I charged up the slope.

  My right hand grabbed Soul’s hilt and my left stabilised the scabbard as I yanked her free. Power from the goddess filled her blade. The white glow added a spooky, ethereal quality to the night. The cold, harsh light of Gwen’s ball did little to warm the scene before her. Shadows from the shifter and Ruadh fell off the ledge, into the valley below. As near as I could tell, they were at the section where I had contemplated climbing the cliff wall.

  As I rounded the bend, it lit up the green of Gwen’s dress, her back toward me. Tiny sparkles and a waver in front of Gwen told me she had some magical effect in front of her. A shield, perhaps? A single, pale ball of light hung above her head. Soul’s glow added to that and lit the ledge. The light and the growls should be enough to lead Emlyn here.

  The rogue shifter’s eyes focused on me.

  “Draugr…” his voice hissed. He remembered me. That was the same name he called me when he attacked Bleddyn and killed Rhys.

  The shifter’s legs surged and Ruadh flew off the creature. He hit hard against the rock wall. I was still running, and needed to slow down quickly so I didn’t go over the cliff edge.

  “Ruadh is dazed,” Gwen sent as she bent over his form. “He’ll need a moment, dearest.”

  The shifter, half bear and half human, leapt upright. His hands and feet were elongated and tipped with hard, sharp claws. His mouth, more bearish than human, snarled and revealed yellow fangs. Claws and fangs that could hurt me.

  I slid to a stop a foot from the cliff edge. It wasn’t the fall that worried me. It was leaving Gwen alone with that beast. Ruadh was dazed. Gwen would only have whatever spells the goddess gave her.

  I slashed Soul in from an overhead guard. The shifter was fast. He pivoted away from the glowing steel. I sensed his long arm behind me. I ducked under his claws and twisted away from the hairy knee rising toward my face. Damn. He had reach on me. Getting inside his measure would be dangerous. Back in the cave, I had fought to get him to retreat. Tonight I wanted to kill. That meant getting closer to him than I had before.

  His other arm darted in, claws first. I turned my twist into a roll to the side. I landed on a knee. My foot dangling over the edge. Empty air and a drop the valley floor beneath it.

  Behind the rogue shifter, Ruadh shook his furry head. He hovered between man and bear forms. Claws on fingers and fangs in a muzzle set in an almost human face. Fur that was almost bushy red-brown hair.

  Claws flashed at me. I pulled back. Another step close to the edge. My heel was back beyond the edge. Pebbles clattered down the hillside. Damn it!

  I needed time. But the shifter raked clawed arms at me. If I fell, it would be a long hard fight between him and Ruadh. Gwen knelt next to my friend, her hands aglow with The Lady’s magic.

  I shifted my feet, and I got a better, but narrow stance on the ledge. A tumble down the cliff, and precious minutes waiting on my magic to heal whatever bones I broke in the landing was time I couldn’t afford in this fight.

  I thrust Soul at his side. He twisted to avoid it and lashed out with his off hand. Just as I’d expected. That was the opening I needed to get away from the edge. Better the creature have its back to the drop-off. I was already low and rolled past him toward Ruadh. My friend glared at the other shifter. His eyes were clear again. He dropped to a crouch, waiting for an opportunity. With a snarl he leapt over me. My tumble took me close to where he had hit the wall. I rolled onto my feet, Soul in hand and ready.

  Ruadh crashed into the other shifter. They tumbled and Ruadh ended up closest to the edge of the cliff. The other shifter knew of the edge, and didn’t want his back to it either. Ruadh’s claws sank into the grassy soil to stop his slide. I hesitated, not wanting to plunge into the fight when the other shifter might shove Ruadh over the edge.

  Teeth and claws snapped and raked. Ruadh found his feet and flung himself up, landing in a crouch. Unfortunately, the other shifter did the same. They traded a few swipes. Growls rising from their chests. The creature feinted and slashed, testing my friend.

  Ruadh dove at the other beast, his meaty right paw slashed at the shifter’s face.

  The creature was fast, though. He spun out of Ruadh’s charge, ducked under the swipe, and punched out. Ruadh bent away from the jab. My friend shifted to pivot back. One arm darted in, claws slashing. But the rogue shifter was ready. He grabbed Ruadh’s arm, turned, and heaved him across his back. Ruadh rolled, uncontrolled, over the other shifter and sailed toward Gwen.

  I leapt and collided with Ruadh to push him away from Gwen. It wasn’t enough though. Our collision knocked me about, and my leg collided with Gwen’s magical shield. All three of us tumbled. Ruadh and I to one side, Gwen to the other. I kept hold of Soul, but I had a werebear on top of me.

  Gwen gasped. Ruadh roared and leapt up. Too late.

  The bastard shifter grabbed Gwen. Her back against him. One arm across her chest, claws at her breast. The other long hand squeezed into her neck. A faint tinge of blood stained the air. He had already cut her skin.

  “Not so fast, my friend,” the rogue shifter said. His accent was from one of the Norse tribes. “Stay where you are or she gains our curse too. If she lives.” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her cheek. Gwen slammed her eyes shut, and bit her lower lip. She tried to repress a shudder.

  “The curse can’t harm me,” Gwen sent. I had no idea why not? Something magical? Still, I didn’t want to risk her life in his claws. His paw was at her throat.

  I climbed slowly to my feet. I was too far away to dive into the fight, and I didn’t want to move fast enough to give the bastard a reason to harm Gwen.

  She grimaced and turned her face as far away from his half-bear mouth as she could. But the creature’s claws were at her neck and lower jaw. There was only so far she could twist.

  “The problem with hostages,” I growled at him, “is that you only get one chance to use them. After that, you die.”

  “Toss the sword of light, draugr,” he rumbled with a chuckle. “Toss it near me, or you can explain the shifter curse to your friend as she changes next moon.” Why did he want my sword?

  Disarming me helped him in the fight. That was a sound tactic. But why near him? Did he want the sword for himself? He didn’t know Aemi did he? Because it was magical? He didn't know I made it glow with The Lady’s magic. In his hands, it would be normal steel. Painful to Ruadh or I, but pain we could handle. Only with the magic of the goddess was it deadly to our kind.

  “Don’t do it,” Ruadh growled.

  “Delay, dearest.” Gwen gave me a little smile.

  The shifter must have sensed something about her, our mental conversation? He hissed and smacked his head into hers. She gasped and a whine of pain escaped her lips. Her hand darted toward her temple. White light spilled from her fingers.

  “Now, draugr!” he hissed again.

  Fight or toss the sword? Two against one. I didn’t want to fight against my own blade in the hands of a shifter, though. I weighed the situation and bounced Soul in my grip. Ruadh edged a step away from me.

  “Dinnae do what he say,” Ruadh growled.

  I reached out to Gwen’s mind. I felt a wave of pain.

  “I’m all right,” she responded, but I knew she lied. That blow had rattled her. Her ball of light dimmed then winked out as she fought the pain.

  “Your sword, NOW!” He drug his claws across her bodice. The fabric tore. Damn it! I could hear Ruadh’s heart beating hard. He didn’t want the beast to have my blade either. I wanted to keep Soul. It was a gift from my brother. A gift from Emlyn. My blade. My Soul.

  I tossed Soul between him and Ruadh. It bounced and slid so it was only a pace from the drop off. I tried feeding it The Lady’s energy so there was enough light for Gwen to see. I was surprised when the glow didn’t extinguish. Even better. Let him believe the sword was magical. He’d be surprised when I cut the flow of magic.

  The shifter chuckled. He tightened hi
s grip on Gwen’s throat and stepped back toward my blade.

  Ruadh crouched, ready to leap. The shifter’s eyes darted between us. He took another step. He had to twist Gwen in his grasp to bend down. She gasped in pain as his claws dug into chest. The shifter’s eyes darted back and forth between Ruadh and I. One of his heels was right at the edge. A rock broke loose and tinked several times as it bounced down the steep wall.

  The shifter leaned sideways, his hand reaching toward Soul.

  But he held Gwen. I wanted her more. Alive and in my arms. Not bleeding, not dead, not in the shifters grasp. She was my love and I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t, let him harm her. But what could I do right now that would get her out unscathed? I wasn’t sure if Gwen could contract the shifter’s curse. I’d prefer not to gamble on that. I was counting on him grabbing my blade. That would be one hand with that wouldn’t pass the curse to Gwen.

  Once he touched my blade, I knew I’d have to leap. I hoped Ruadh would follow my lead. I would grab the creature’s arm and free Gwen. But Ruadh would face the shifter and my sword. I glanced at the half-bear across from me. He saw my eyes and winked. The rogue shifter’s eyes dance between us. He seemed to know he’d be increasingly vulnerable the farther he bent.

  His fingers neared Soul.

  I sensed the energy in Ruadh. We were both ready to spring.

  Out of nowhere, a metal blade flashed in the light of my sword, and sliced across the shifter’s hamstrings. The creature howled in pain and collapsed to his knees. I leapt and pulled Gwen from his grasp.

  Emlyn’s face appeared at the edge of the drop off. That sneaky cat climbed the cliff while we fought the shifter.

  Corff flashed again at the creature. His blade, ordinary steel, wouldn’t do much harm. The shifter was already lumbering to his feet as his magical nature healed the damage. Still, Emlyn's blade slowed the shifter while it healed the damage.

  Ruadh soared past us and hit the creature hard. But the shifter twisted to avoid him. Both were off balance. The creature recovering from Emlyn’s mundane blade. Even now his wound was healing. But, the wound was enough of a distraction. Ruadh and the shifter tipped too far. They flew back past the edge. Down they went. My friend bounced twice, tied into a ball of fur, fangs, and claws with the other shifter.