by Joshua Hoyt
Chapter 15:
Cody stood and walked toward the others. “Our time’s up.”
Tom stood painfully. The aches of the previous battle had caught up with him, and he slowly followed Cody into the cave. Cody woke Kristiana and Aithnea for the next watch. The two women groaned faintly as they started toward the mouth of the cave.
Tom looked around the cave but didn't see Tanya. “Where’s Tanya?” Tom asked.
Cody looked toward Tom and then to where Tanya’s bedroll lay empty. Cody scanned the cave, looking for any sign of her. Her pack lay next to her bedroll but other than that, Cody could find no sign of her in the cave. “John,” Cody called.
John jumped out of bed, pulling his weapon out at the same time. He stood wide awake searching for danger. “What is it?” He croaked.
“Tanya's gone,” Cody said.
Tom walked to Caspin’s bedroll. “Caspin’s gone as well.”
“Where would they have gone? We were guarding the entrance and I didn’t see any other way out,” Cody muttered.
“There's either a secret way out or you two fell asleep,” John said
“We'll, we didn't sleep,” Cody defended sharply.
The group searched the cave looking for another way out. Tom walked to the back of the cave where the wall jutted out oddly. He studied a stone on the wall were some of the dust and grime looked as if it had been wiped away. After he pushed lightly on the stone it gave way and a small portion of the wall slid away revealing a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, stars glittered in a black sky.
“I found a secret door,” Tom stated.
John and Cody hurried over and gazed through the entrance. “Kris and I’ll start after them. You three pack up everything. Catch up as soon as you can,” John said as he stepped through the entrance.
Tom, Cody and Aithnea packed, then followed the others down the passageway toward the cold dark night. At the end of the passage Tom noticed another irregular rock on the outside of the wall. He pushed it and the passage closed up as if it had never existed. The three looked around for traces of John and Kristiana’s passing. Then Aithnea pointed at odd silver footprints on the ground and said, “It’s a spell that Kristiana must have cast to show us the direction they went.” She followed the silver footprints. Tom followed after her. He glanced back and saw that the footprints faded away as they passed. The waning moon and stars only lit the path slightly. How could they see anything, let alone track Tanya? After about an hour, Tom thought he caught a glimpse of someone ahead of them. Hopefully they had finally caught up to John and Kristiana.
Cody slowed his pace. They followed at a distance, not wanting to give themselves away until they knew for sure who they chased. They followed the person through the forest, winding in and out of the trees that grew thicker as they went. The person stopped every once in a while to study the ground. They must be tracking someone as well. Who is it? They gained on the person, staying as quiet as they could. If the footprints aren’t Kristiana’s whose footprints are they really? This might not be such a good idea.
The person stopped again and Cody motioned to them to overtake the individual. They pulled their weapons from their belts and charged. Tom pulled up short as Tanya turned on them with both weapons drawn. Through slitted eyes, she evaluated the situation. Uneasily, she lowered her weapons. “Where are John and Kristiana?” she asked, warily.
“We thought that we were following them. The silver tracks, we thought they were theirs,” Cody responded.
Tanya glanced at the tracks behind her. “No, they’re not theirs. They belong to me. I put tracer dust on my shoes, hoping you would be able to follow me. The dust fades slowly.” She turned and crouched to study the ground. “I’m not sure why Kristiana and John wouldn’t follow. Unless they thought it was a trap.” She stood and said, “We must hurry. I can track Caspin, but I must stay close or I’ll lose him.” She started through the forest again.
Tom hesitated for a moment then started after her. Cody and Aithnea started after them. How can she move so fast in the dark and still track? Tanya stopped every once in a while and looked at the ground then moved on again.
“How are you tracking him in this darkness?” Tom asked, after she stopped for the third time.
“I’ll tell you more about it later, but for now just know that I am. The thing that’s so surprising is how well Caspin is hiding his trail. I’ve been tracking all my life. This is one of the most difficult trails I’ve ever followed.” Tanya continued on, stopping only to study the ground. Tom followed, watching the silver footprints appear as she moved. Her trot suddenly turned into a full out run. She pulled her weapons out of their sheaths and held them at her side as she ran. Tom ran after her. Even without his weapons drawn, he struggled to keep up with her. His breathing started to come in gasps as he sprinted after Tanya. On the other hand, Tanya ran as if she was taking a casual stroll down the street. Even as she jumped over logs and ducked under branches, her pace never slowed. Tom could hear Cody and Aithnea behind him. Their breathing as heavy as his own.
Tanya suddenly let out a battle cry as she jumped high in the air swinging both of her weapons at once. The creature she hit looked like a huge wolf standing on its hind legs. Blood came from the wounds that Tanya inflicted. The giant wolf backed away from her. His upper lip curled in a growl, revealing a row of sharp teeth. Saliva dripped down his chin. Wicked looking claws hung at his side, shining occasionally as the moon’s weak light reflected off them. His eyes glinted red as he measured his enemy. Around him hung the smell of musk and wet fur. The creature seemed unaffected by the wounds that Tanya had inflicted. Tanya circled the creature, crossing her weapons in a defensive stance. Sweat ran down her face and arms. Her hardened muscles in her neck and forearms tense, ready to strike again.
“Stay back,” Tanya yelled over her shoulder. She moved in for another strike, swinging her dagger low. The creature jumped back dodging it easily. But opening himself up for a slash from the long sword which arched down toward its unprotected chest. The creature fell onto its back screaming out in pain. Tanya stayed back preparing her next move. The creature continued to howl in pain. Blood flowed over his chest and waist and formed a small puddle on the ground beside him.
“Stop, Tanya!” John yelled from behind them.
Tom turned. Kristiana and John came running over a small hill, running toward them. Tanya backed away from the creature, still holding her weapons at the ready. John walked past her to the creature’s side. In his hand he held a plant. Cautiously he knelt next to the beast. The creature sniffed at the plant that John held, then with its uninjured arm he took the plant and put it in his mouth. Slowly he chewed. Red eyes closed, the beast sighed with apparent relief. Tanya slowly lowered her weapons and stood limply watching the creature, which she had nearly killed, turn into Caspin. Tom watched in awe as the fur turned to clothes and the claws turned into hands. Immediately, Tanya sheathed her weapons. Kristiana stepped forward, pulling bandages from her pack and with Tanya began to bandage the man.
“I had to get out before you saw me,” Caspin said. His breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Why didn’t you just tell us?” John asked.
Caspin’s face turned gray and tears rolled across his cheeks. He grimaced from the pain. Tanya applied a salve to his wounds, while Kristiana wrapped them with bandages.
“I was... I was afraid that you would not allow me to travel with you. I’ve been on the run for so long, avoiding so many people, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to be around people again. Then I met up with you at the shack and thought that if I kept it a secret … I would be able to get to Archelaus, and he would help me. Last night the black moon rose and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stop the change and my secret would be revealed.”
John put a jug to Caspin’s mouth so he could drink.
“How did you know the plant would work?” Caspin asked after taking many gulps of water.
“Kris
noticed that your tracks had changed. There’s a legend about a werewolf who could control his changing with this herb. Kris saw the plants along our path yesterday,” John explained.
“I saw you use the plant on Tom’s wound and saw the worry in your face. I figured that you were just worried that it was gone but when I saw the change in the tracks I knew then why you had been so worried. Without the plant you can’t control the change,” Kristiana said. She applied a bandage to the last wound.
Tanya put her hands on the wounds and said a few words in a strange tongue that Tom had never heard it before. As she spoke, color returned to Caspin’s face. Caspin smiled weakly and put his hand on Tanya’s hand. “Thank you. Do not feel any sorrow for what has happened tonight. You have acted with honor and courage. Not many people would face a full grown werewolf.”
Kristiana looked at Caspin’s face and then at Tanya. “How did you do that? How did you help him?”
“Tanya is a ranger of the white forest. Isn’t that true my dear.” Caspin said smiling up at Tanya.
Tanya said a few words in her native tongue. Her face changed slightly, becoming more slender. Her ears lengthened and turned to a point at the top. Her hair turned golden, her eyes bright green. “You speak the truth, Caspin. I am a ranger of the white forest. I’ve also had to hide my true form for many years. I left the white forest long ago in search of my true calling. It’s not unusual for my people to go among men in search of their path. I found mine with the White Eagle clan.”
“We might as well go back to the cave and regain our strength till morning. Regrettably, we’ll need to continue on.” John looked at Caspin then continued, “Even with our wounds.” So they trudged back to the cave with John and Cody on either side of Caspin. They both had an arm around his waist while he leaned heavily on them. Tanya led the way, her elven eyes making it easy for her to follow the trail.
Caspin groaned as John helped him down to the hard cave floor and Tanya stacked blankets under his head. Aithnea stoked the fire and heated some water for a tea. After Caspin drank the tea, he fell into a fitful sleep and the rest of the companions also found their beds and sleep. Other than John, he stood watch along with the caves enchanted entrance.
Tom dreamed again that night as he slept restlessly on the cold floor. He dreamed at first of the peaceful meadow where the fawn ate next to its mother. Of the pond where the fish jumped. His dreams then turned to night and of shadows covering the land. Death touched everything around the pond. He heard a voice calling out to him. He stood next to the pond and his friends stood near him in the darkness, all of them except for one, Cody. Frantically, Tom looked for him around the clearing, but couldn’t find him anywhere. He heard the voice again and recognized it this time. It was Cody’s. Crying out for help. Tom ran toward the voice, across the meadow and into the thick forest he raced, searching for his friend. He ran so long his legs ached, and his breathing grew heavy. He finally found him. Cody fought alone and desperately against many different creatures. Some of them had horns and tails and red skin. Others were gruesome men with red dragon symbols on their capes. Still others were indescribable. Tom ran toward Cody, but the ground held Tom's legs, keeping him from getting to him, from saving him. He struggled with the ground, tearing glob after glob of hard dirt away. With each handful he pulled away, more appeared. Tom could only watch as Cody took his first wound. Cody cringed with pain as blood ran down the side of his head. Then another and another hurt, until he fought on his knees for his life. Cody looked at Tom desperately, pleading for his help. Another blow came and still Tom could not break free to help his friend.
“Why, Tom? Why didn’t you help me?” Cody asked sorrowfully.