by Peter Wacht
The bloodsnake slid slowly up the rocky slope. Its body stretched for almost thirty feet, and its head held hundreds of sharp fangs, each one filled with lethal poison. Only one result came from the bite of a bloodsnake — a quick and painful death. The reptile took its name from its blood-red skin. Rumor had it that the blood of the snake’s prey actually created the color. The darker the color, the more kills the snake had made. Bloodsnakes were one of the greatest dangers of the Clanwar Desert, for they had no natural predators. As a result, these creatures feared nothing, not even man. More than once unwary travelers had come upon one, much to their misfortune.
The snake moved silently into the darkness of the cave, its long body twisting and turning to propel it forward. A bloodsnake hunted its prey by sound. Once it found a target, it mimicked the motion of its prey so that the animal’s own sounds hid the snake’s approach, until it was close enough to strike. As the bloodsnake moved into the deeper recesses of the cave, it sensed a slight motion toward the back. It began its attack, slithering forward quietly, the sound of its scales scraping against the rocky floor masked by the movement of its prey. When the motion stopped, so did the snake. It was a time-consuming process, but the bloodsnake was patient. Its hunger would be abated soon. Though it couldn’t see in the pitch black, it didn’t matter. It didn’t need its eyes to hunt.
Suddenly, the snake felt a claw grab hold of its neck. It tried desperately to break free, opening its mouth to bite at its attacker, but the grip around its head tightened. The bloodsnake was dragged easily into the light of the cave’s entrance. The snake finally saw the arm of its captor, corded muscle rippling under a skin as dark as granite. For the first time in its life the bloodsnake knew fear. It writhed desperately, trying to break free. The claw tightened its grip once more, crushing the air from its body. The bloodsnake knew that it was going to die.
The Nightstalker looked at the bloodsnake contemptuously with its glowing red eyes. With a quick flick of its wrist, the Nightstalker broke the bloodsnake’s neck, letting the lifeless body fall to the stony ground.
Finally, after all this time, it felt its prey again. It had never hunted for so long before. The Nightstalker had followed its prey for several days after receiving its task, only to have the feeling abruptly disappear. The Nightstalker had waited through the years for its prey to appear again, and now it finally did. It had sensed its prey briefly at times, yet only for a few fleeting moments, and never long enough to begin the hunt. Now, though, it knew for sure.
The Nightstalker spread its arms out wide, the muscles in its shoulders flexing, the wings on its back stretching to their full length. The hunt would finally begin again. Its master would be pleased.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Ego Run Amok
When Kaylie first thought of sneaking into the Burren, it seemed like the perfect adventure and a chance for some freedom. As she grew older, the demands made on her as a princess were becoming more and more of a burden. Her lessons were one thing. She didn’t mind learning history or arithmetic or statesmanship. But standing still for several hours because of some stupid ceremony was just a little too much. She wanted to have some fun for a change. Unfortunately, her adventure wasn’t turning out as she had hoped.
How come your expectations never matched reality? It had begun at the very start. After going across the bridge and through Ballinasloe, they had turned north and entered Oakwood Forest. Maddan automatically took the lead, which greatly irritated Kaylie. The expedition was her idea. Therefore, she should be at the head of the group, so she had demanded to know what he was doing, using her most commanding voice. Maddan’s answer, “Because a queen’s champion always rides before her,” soured her mood for the rest of the morning. Why did men always assume that women needed protection? Judging by Maddan’s skill with weapons, she stood a better chance on her own.
What bothered her even more was Maddan’s assumption that he was her champion. He was handsome she had to admit — blond hair, blue eyes, dazzling smile — and he had been paying a lot more attention to her in the past few weeks. More often than not, he’d come to her apartments after his weapons training to see if she’d like to go for a walk.
Yet, despite his good looks, and much to the consternation of her friends, she quickly had grown tired of him. He spent most of the time bragging about how good a fighter he was, even going so far as to say that when Kael Bellilil retired, he would become Swordmaster. In Kaylie’s opinion that was a long shot at best. Maddan was like all the other boys at the Rock — full of themselves; confident to the point of arrogance primarily because of their family’s wealth or status. Many of them conveniently forgot that the respect and courtesy with which they were treated had not been earned by them, but by their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents.
True, hearing how beautiful her eyes were, or how silky her hair, or how witty her tongue, had been nice at first. But the more the boys voiced it, the less she believed them. Now it was a nuisance. None of the boys she knew could get past the fact that she was a princess. In fact, that seemed to be all they saw, especially Maddan. If Maddan’s father had already talked to her father about a possible marriage, she would not have been the least surprised.
Kaylie crinkled her nose in disgust. The thought of marriage almost made her gag. Her father had said she should think about it. Becoming an adult, if only in the eyes of the law, had made it all too apparent. But what if she wasn’t ready? All the Kingdoms were ruled by kings, except for Benewyn. Why should she have to share Fal Carrach with a man, just because he was a man? It didn’t seem right. In fact, it wasn’t right. Why couldn’t a woman rule Fal Carrach? She had the distinct feeling that all the books she had read during her classes about the proper etiquette of a dignified and noble woman had been written by men. Why couldn’t she ride off to war at the head of her father’s army? Just because it normally wasn’t done didn’t mean she couldn’t do it. She shook her head in frustration.
Whoever she married would have to understand that she could take care of herself. Yet, if all her choices resembled Maddan in any way, she promised herself that she would die a spinster. In one of Kaylie’s history lessons her teacher had explained that many times a princess married for the good of the kingdom, forsaking her own interests for those of her people. After hearing that, she stormed into her father’s office and told him quite clearly that she would marry who she wanted, when she wanted, and that it would be for love and no other reason. He had laughed, amused by her set jaw and blazing eyes. Admittedly, looking back now it was kind of funny, since she had been ten years old at the time. But it didn’t seem all that long ago now that she had to think about the real possibility of marriage. Kaylie was drawn from her thoughts by a scream. She reached for the dagger in her belt on impulse.
Looking behind her, she discovered that Lissa had almost been thrown from her saddle. A fox had shot between the legs of her horse and startled the animal. Normally, it wouldn’t have been a problem, as Lissa was an expert rider. But Kaylie knew better. Recently Lissa had been focusing more of her attention on Eric, whom she found remarkably handsome. So she went to great lengths to flirt with him. It was of little use. Though blessed with good looks, at times he could be a little dense. The only way she was going to get him interested was to be more direct. Lissa had gotten so caught up in her task that she hadn’t paid attention to her riding. Thankfully, Eric reached back and took hold of the bridle, steadying Lissa’s horse. She quickly regained her seat, though she had to drag herself halfway back up her horse’s rump.
“Don’t worry, my lady,” said Eric with conviction. “I will protect you from the dangers of the forest.”
Maybe Lissa was getting to Eric after all, Kaylie considered. He normally didn’t say more than a few words at a time. In fact, his latest statement qualified as a speech.
Turning back around in her saddle, Kaylie realized they had reached their destination. With just a few more steps they broke through the tr
ees and entered a large glade. At the far end a small waterfall fell fifteen feet into a large pool of water. They had traveled mostly in shadows to make it here, the dense foliage of the Burren blocking the sun. Though a thick mass of branches spread out over the lake, the sun broke through in several places. It was well past noon, so Kaylie and her friends set up a makeshift camp. Eric was even gallant enough to help Lissa down from her horse. When Maddan offered to do the same for her, grinning up at her insolently, Kaylie ignored him. Why did men always assume a woman needed help? If she needed assistance, she’d ask for it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Chance Encounter
Thomas and Beluil reached the glade just after Kaylie and her friends. He was above them, concealed by the rocks at the top of the waterfall with Beluil lying beside him. They had followed the trail of evil for almost an hour now. For some reason the Ogren had stopped, so he had stopped as well so he could study these strangers. Thomas adjusted the leather guard on his right forearm, making sure it covered his birthmark. He still remembered his grandfather’s warning about the power of the image of the raptor and did not want to take any unnecessary chances.
He and Beluil had considered moving closer to their prey, but they had decided against it for now. The Ogren were still about a mile away, and if they remained where they were, the beasts would have more of a chance to discover Thomas and Beluil’s approach. That’s something he definitely didn’t want. As long as the Ogren didn’t move any closer to this group of travelers, it would be all right. Besides, they had captured his interest. This was the first time he had seen people his own age since he had escaped the Crag. Thomas looked down at the group, somewhat puzzled. Most people stayed out of the Burren unless they had a reason to be there, and a picnic wasn’t a good reason.
He and Beluil had heard the group travel to the glade from a good distance away. Luckily for them, it appeared that the Ogren had not. These people obviously were more accustomed to life in the city. They probably didn’t know how far their voices carried in the woods, as well as the sound of the horses’ hooves crunching on the brush covering the forest floor.
Thomas was a quiet person by nature, yet these people were chatterboxes, particularly the small boy with the scraggly hair and three of the girls, one of whom was talking incessantly to a large boy with blond hair. Every so often she would touch his arm with her hand, or even leave it there for a moment. Thomas wondered what that meant, and why the boy allowed it. In just the few minutes he had watched her, Thomas had found the blonde girl with her constant babbling extremely annoying.
However, one girl, the one who sat on the other side of the camp away from the others, seemed different. She was mesmerizing. Her long, black hair and blue eyes gave her a beauty most could only dream of. Thomas couldn’t take his eyes from her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
False Tale
“It was just the other day, in fact, that I came within a whisker of beating Kael in the training circle,” said Maddan, as he bit into a piece of chicken. He wiped the grease that dribbled down the side of his mouth on his sleeve before throwing the bone into the forest. Picking out another chicken leg, he lounged back against a tree. “It won’t be long before I’m given a post in the army, and from there, well, who knows. Swordmaster, perhaps?”
“You almost beat Kael?” asked Camilla in a doubtful tone. “Kael is the best swordsman in Fal Carrach. Maybe in all the Kingdoms.”
Maddan had hoped that Kaylie would be the one to ask, but she was sitting on the other side of the camp, closer to the trees than the lake. How was he supposed to impress her if she wasn’t listening to him as she should? The thought that she might not want to listen to him never crossed his mind. His father was the richest, and most powerful man after Gregory, in all of Fal Carrach. Yet, instead of following in his footsteps, his father had other plans for him. A commission in the army was the first step, Swordmaster the next. And from there, well, who knew? As his father had explained to him several times in the last few months, the quickest way to the throne was through the princess.
“Yes, I almost beat Kael,” Maddan said in a louder voice. Kaylie couldn’t help but hear him now. “I was about to make the winning move when I had a bit of bad luck.” Maddan shrugged his shoulders as if to say there was nothing he could have done about it. “Someone had left a scabbard in the circle that lay half concealed in the dust. When I made my thrust, my foot slipped on it. If not for that, I would have bested him for sure.”
The girls listened to Maddan’s story, not sure whether to believe him. Everything he said sounded plausible. For Kaylie there was no doubt. Maddan was lying. She had learned long before that boys liked to brag, thinking it impressed girls. Many times it worked, but not on her. Maddan misinterpreted Kaylie’s smile of disbelief as permission to continue with his story. Standing up, he began to replay the struggle, mimicking his movements from the day before.
“It was an even fight in the beginning,” he said. “We parried each others’ attacks for several minutes.” Maddan made several lunges with his blade and demonstrated a few defensive positions. The girls were entranced by his performance, so much so that even Lissa was watching him, Eric momentarily forgotten. “Then I saw the opening I wanted, and I took it.”
Maddan lunged forward quickly, sword leveled at Nikola. He brought it to a stop just a foot from her face, earning a scream of fright followed by giggles for his efforts.
“I attacked swiftly, lunging to the left, then the right and finally swinging low for his legs. All Kael could do was go backward. I refused to give him room to escape.” He was now jumping around the circle, caught up in his imaginary battle.
“I knew I had him, so I continued to attack. I lunged forward, ready to deliver the killing blow, but the scabbard got in the way, and though I tried to recover, Kael took advantage of my misstep and won the duel. If not for that scabbard, I would have won easily.”
Nikola and Camilla beamed at Maddan in admiration as he stood there posing after his almost-certain victory. They both looked at Kaylie, who was obviously not paying attention, in bewilderment. How could she not be interested in Maddan? He was so dashing, and so handsome.
“Tripped on your own two feet, rather,” said Rohn, his mind elsewhere as he gnawed on a chicken leg. “Wasn’t a scabbard within thirty feet of the circle.”
“What did you say?” said Maddan, turning an angry glare on his friend. His face was beet red, from embarrassment or fury Kaylie couldn’t tell.
“I said you tripped over your own two feet. There wasn’t a scabbard anywhere near—”
Maddan moved closer to Rohn, his sword still in his hand. Rohn gulped as his friend approached, and immediately decided that prudence should win out over the truth.
“Ah, sorry. I was mistaken. As you said, you tripped over a scabbard. I was there. I saw it. You tripped over a scabbard. No two ways about it.” Rohn had a hard time staying quiet. As a result, he had learned quickly that disagreeing with Maddan wasn’t always a good idea even if you were his friend, so he had perfected the art of backtracking.
Maddan nodded, satisfied. He sat down again, biting into his unfinished piece of chicken. He glanced quickly at Kaylie and saw that she was looking into the trees. He wondered why. His story had the desired effect on Nikola and Camilla. Why not her as well?
“I hope we don’t get lost,” said Nikola, shuddering at the possibility. “I don’t like forests, and I’ve heard of evil things lurking in the Burren. Monsters that walk the woods during the night.”
“Not to worry,” said Maddan, seeing another opportunity to improve his chances with Kaylie. “There is absolutely no way we can get lost.”
“And why is that?” asked Rohn.
If nothing else, his help in allowing Maddan to brag would make up for Rohn’s earlier indiscretion. Besides, he was curious as to what Maddan was going to come up with next. His lie about going to Oakwood Forest to practice their woodlore was exactly that — a
lie. The three had spent all of their lives in the city. The closest they had been to nature, until now, was at the various fairs that took place outside the city’s walls.
“I’m glad you asked that, Rohn,” replied Maddan, adopting a knowledgeable tone. “You see, there is a very simple way to find your way out of any forest.”
“You’re right, Maddan,” interrupted Eric. “That’s easy enough. You just keep walking until there aren’t any more trees.” Eric laughed at his joke, as did Lissa, perhaps louder than necessary. Lissa was obviously having an effect on Eric for him to join in the conversation. Maddan wasn’t amused, so he continued as if he hadn’t been disturbed.
“As I was saying, you can tell what direction you should go by the way the branches on certain trees bend.”
Maddan rambled on with his explanation, but Kaylie had already tuned him out. His voice was simply an annoying distraction to her now as she looked out across the glade and the trees surrounding it.
Eyes half closed, she enjoyed the gentle breeze blowing through her hair. It was nice to get out of the castle, especially on a day like this. Most of the time the Rock was either musty or cold or damp. The warm sun beating down on her was making her sleepy, so she let her mind wander, wondering what it would be like to live in the forest instead of a castle. She’d like to try it some day. That’s odd. The horses were nervous. Instead of eating the grass where they were hobbled, they were prancing around. Ah, well. It was probably nothing. Kaylie went back to her sun and her dreams of living in a house made of wood instead of huge blocks of stone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Danger
Thomas couldn’t believe the lies spouting from the boy’s mouth. You can make your way in the forest by interpreting the way the branches of a tree bent? The shocking thing was that most of his friends believed him, except for the dark-haired one sitting closer to the forest. She wasn’t paying any attention to him at all.