by Chris Africa
"Who are you? What sort of man kidnaps a group of travelers and drags them underground?" Nita demanded. Chassy kicked her foot, and she scowled at him.
Eyes glittering, the man sauntered up to Nita and gave a mock bow.
"This is no man." William glowered, animosity etching his face. "This is Martu, god of war and master of chaos. The one who captured me and held me captive for months, demanding I give him details about a so-called 'resistance.' "
Frustration stabbed Nita's heart, but she kept her composure and took up a scowl to match William's in ferocity. Her parents had taught her respect for the gods, even those such as Martu whose work in this world seemed unnecessary and unfortunate. Their powerful actions kept nature in balance and protected its creatures. But how could she respect Martu?
"Well, Martu, if you know anything about me, you know I would never negotiate with the Master of Chaos and a kidnapper."
"Not for gold and peace? The opportunity to be back home and protect the ones you love from the effects of this war?"
Nita drew in a breath. He made it sound so simple, but she knew it was even simpler than that. "I can't fight Gnarkvetch from my home. If we don't take him down, there will never be peace."
Martu gave a stiff, forced laugh. "Oh, Gnarkvetch will fall, no doubt. That buffoon will succumb without you. It is a matter of time."
"He'll fall faster with our help," Chassy said.
Nita nodded in agreement.
"And then what? Do you imagine that will be the end? Will you fight Erise himself?"
"Why would we fight Erise? The gods imprisoned Erise in the Underworld," Andrev said.
Martu put on a mocking smile. "Ah, yes, that old mythology. And the gods agreed not to interfere in human affairs. Yet, here I am with you as my captive. Well? Am I interfering or not?"
Nita bounced out of her chair with her hands on her hips and faced off against Martu. He gave her a languid smile and crossed his arms, lifting one hand to his chin.
"Yes, my dear? Do you have a rebuttal?"
"You are full of lies and mischief." The words sounded so silly coming out of her mouth that she almost rolled her eyes at herself.
But Martu raised his eyebrows and nodded. "And?"
"We will defeat Gnarkvetch. We welcome you to join us. And when we triumph, maybe we will reward you for your help and pardon your past deeds."
Martu burst out laughing. "My, my, you are as audacious as the stories say." He snapped his fingers, and Nita struggled as two of the guards yanked her back to her seat. Martu's eyes hardened to little points. "You waste your time. Gnarkvetch is already on his way down, you just can't see it yet. Sure, he'll sow a little more chaos in his wake before he's gone. But when he goes, Erise will get a new puppet, possibly one with an entirely different goal. Besides, I don't think you and I would work out. I always cheer for the noisiest team."
He turned from them. "Send them away. It should be most entertaining to watch them fight Erise."
"My lord?" The bandit leader sounded confused. "You want us to rough 'em up? Teach 'em a lesson?"
"That won't be necessary. But be sure to search their belongings before they leave and confiscate any magical artifacts. Including the amulet and the cloak."
A familiar sound startled Nita—the rumble of a cougar—and she stood to see Shyrea in the doorway, her cubs at her side. Cherise walked behind them wearing a cloak that was nothing more than a common cloak.
The guy beside her drew in a sharp breath, and the room exploded into madness. Mother and cubs tore through the guards, biting and slashing.
Cherise raced over to them as they stood rooted to the floor. "Come on, grab your things," she said. "Let's get out of here fast."
Martu stood with his arms crossed, head tilted back, cackling like he'd lost his mind. Nita stared for a second, and he gave her a strange crooked smile.
"Well, go then, you little rabble-rousers. Rouse some rabble! I will have the amulet and the cloak, eventually. I guarantee it."
As Nita, Chassy, and Andrev raced down the tunnel, he called, "Think on my offer, won't you?"
35: Chassy
Racing back through the passageway, Chassy felt the moment his abilities returned. He sent his thanks to Shyrea and her cub, following them through the narrow channels. The cats tracked the scent left by humans who had passed this way—Chassy's, in particular. Smelling himself through Shyrea, he decided to bathe more often. While not repulsive, the odor would drive him away if he walked past it on someone else.
As he passed through the room with Anthem Gregios, the frog captain sighed and shrugged. Before he knew it, he was bursting out of the passageway and into the forest. His friends flew out behind him. Shyrea led him off the path and into a wild area, pausing once in a while for Chassy to catch up.
"Shyrea said don't disturb the forest," he whispered. "It will be harder to track us."
They arrived in a clearing where several large trees had been downed by some force of nature. The plants around the logs hadn't yet filled in the space cast by the trees' shade, and they settled down against one side of the fallen mammoths.
They collapsed, panting. No one seemed to have followed them. Nita threw her arms around Cherise. "Thank you. What happened? How did you escape?"
"Well, I'm a light sleeper by nature," Cherise said, "so I woke up when I heard a sound and went to investigate. It was cold, so I slipped on the cloak. But as soon as I heard them, I knew I had better hide. So I climbed a tree and went invisible. I saw them come and take you away, and I didn't know what I could do, so I followed."
Chassy put his arm around her shoulders. "Shyrea called you brave. This is her forest, and we are like her cubs. She was watching everything. She didn't understand your words, but when you gestured with your hands, she knew you needed her help."
Nita clapped her hands. "That's amazing. You didn't even have to call her, Chassy. Do you think she wants to go with us to fight Gnarkvetch?"
That last part was a jest, but Chassy looked at Shyrea and then they both looked at her.
"She's in," Chassy said. "Her cubs too. She has no love for most humans, but Gnarkvetch is the worst kind. Wherever his army goes, they clear trees and kill any wildlife that doesn't run away."
"That's good news," William said. "Shyrea will be a great asset, though I am worried about putting them in harm's way. It hasn't been long since she had a broken leg, and those cubs look young."
"Don't worry. It's all healed up now, I guarantee it. Remember, I put my Waet silk stocking on her leg. It worked as well for her as it did for me last summer when I got a thorn through my foot." Shyrea growled that it was time they mastered hunting anyway. This would be a good opportunity for them. "And she says don't worry about the cubs. They are already big enough to tear out a grown man's throat or rip off his sword arm. Time they should learn to feed themselves."
***
The mountains weren't too far away—only a decan to reach the foothills—though they were a big place. William's map showed peaks stretching half the length of Ayzwind.
Chassy looked over his shoulder. "Wow, that's a lot of ground to cover."
Andrev pointed to a spot labeled "Dragonhame." "According to everything I've read, the Mountain People concentrate in this area of the mountains. We should start there."
"Why is it called Dragonhame?" Chassy looked at Andrev, who always had the answers, but William responded.
"In the Era of the Gods, the legends say dragons were plentiful. Dragonhame was their homeland, as Waet Tree Village is yours. But the dragons were noble creatures, who defended all the people and animals in their territory. Erise found them incorruptible, and he hunted them to extinction. Dragons haven't been seen in eons. Some scholars don't even believe they were ever real."
"That's so sad," Nita said. "Why didn't Rehn and Falise do anything about it?"
William shrugged. "Who can know the mind of a god?"
"I've been thinking that once we reach the area,
I can climb up and look for Gnarkvetch from the top of the tallest tree," Cherise offered. "It shouldn't take long to find him if he is clearing trees. I've found people like this many times."
How often had she had to track someone down in a forest?
"It will take a long time to climb all those trees. The human eye can't see far," Chassy said. "It would work better if I also become a bird and fly up and have a look around. No one would suspect a bird of anything sneaky, and I can cover a lot more ground faster."
"But don't let Gnarkvetch see you, Chassy," Cherise said. "If he's killing the wildlife, he won't hesitate to take you out."
A decan was not so long to travel through a pleasant wood. Once again, Andrev kept them fed—not by forcing them to ration as he had last summer and identifying forest edibles, but by sharing the large stoppered pot of porridge Granny had sent, which was the primary contents of his pack. Every time the pot came out, everyone complained, but they still ate it. Sometimes, they found nuts or berries for texture, but mostly it was porridge, porridge, porridge. Chassy learned by trial and error that sticks, crab apples, and dandelion leaves were not improvements.
Nita laughed every time Andrev pulled out the big pot. "When I first saw how heavy your pack was, I thought it was full of books."
"No room for books. I had to leave all those behind," Andrev growled. "Besides, I needed provisions, and this is all Granny had to send. She even gave me a sack of oats to make more once this runs out."
The porridge pot didn't fill Andrev's bag. Chassy thought it more likely he was too weak to carry both the porridge and the books, but he held his tongue.
"Well, I hope we keep finding nuts and berries," Chassy said. "This stuff is awful. I don't know how she can eat it all the time."
Andrev brightened and pointed to Chassy. "That's what I told her."
"At least it's food," Cherise shrugged. "I can't tell you how many times I've had nothing to eat but nuts, berries, even sometimes roots for a meal."
No one answered. Chassy suspected that, like him, the others were wondering about Cherise's travels, but they were too polite to ask.
Except for Andrev. "Have you no home?"
"I had a home when I was small. But my parents were poor, and my father sold me to a traveling menagerie as fast as he could. I was worth an entire silver back then." She smiled as if remembering fonder times, but Nita suspected there was something more.
"What's a menagerie?" Chassy asked.
Cherise's face colored, and she looked at the ground.
"Chassy, don't be so rude asking about people's personal lives. You're making her uncomfortable," Nita scolded.
"No, it's okay. It was a group of traveling performers. There's often something strange about them. In my case, I could climb trees like a monkey and do incredible acrobatics. I was only tenyear."
Chassy was riveted. These were the kinds of things the trader Mayvis had always described when she came through town with her caravan—the kind that had made him long to become an adventurer. "What other performers were there?"
"There was a Nydwon cast out who was telling fortunes. At first, there was a man who swallowed knives, but then he went away. Oh, I don't know. I don't like to think of those days too much."
"Said like one who has escaped imprisonment and found a better life," William added.
Cherise nodded. "So true."
William raised his cup of water. "To freedom and friendship. May we ever have more of both."
They had arrived at a mound in front of what Chassy could only call a foothill at the base of a mountain range that carried on as far as he could see.
"Mountains always look like they sprout from the ground full-size when it is gradual," Nita mused.
"We're on the windward side," William said. "That's either good or bad, depending on your perspective."
"What do you mean?" Nita said.
"Leeward there would be far fewer trees, giving Chassy a better bird's-eye view. This side of the mountains, Cherise's scouting abilities may prove equally effective." William leaned against a tree, looking far older than Chassy knew he must be.
"I expect we'll need all eyes looking out for them," Chassy said. "The whole Heroes Army."
Nita mock-punched his arm. "That is not funny. Who came up with that terrible name? I think we deserve something a little more… enticing."
"Merry Band of Warriors?" Chassy offered.
Cherise laughed. "That sounds like we dance and play flutes. What about Champions of Magic?"
"Hey, I like it! The Silver Sorceress and her Champions of Magic. We must introduce ourselves next time and spread the word."
36: Nita
They ate the last of the prepared porridge as they sat pondering the day ahead of them. They had stopped in a lumpy hollow pricked with a few scruffy bushes and boulders the size of young pigs. The rock bed underneath them curved left and down into a gully, leaving a treeless area that aided their view. Nita knew they were already 'in the mountains,' but the big parts still looked so far away. Carpeted in trees and brush, they appeared soft and inviting. As usual, Andrev had to ruin it all by spouting the mountain-specific dangers they could encounter if they continued onward.
"There are rockslides and avalanches, hidden crevices with sides so steep normal people can't climb either up or down, mountain sickness from breathing the bad air…" he listed off all the things he had read in one of Xander's books.
"Bad air?" That sounded made up.
"Only people born in the mountains can breathe the mountain air. You must train your body to use it, and you can only gradually go up into the high mountains," Andrev said.
Nita shrugged. "Well, there's no point worrying. I suppose we'll be able to do whatever Gnarkvetch and his guards can do. We can walk the paths they walk and watch to see if the guards get sick. They've been here longer than us so they should get sick first."
Chassy, who wouldn't be climbing any mountains, was almost dancing in his eagerness to get started. "It would seem best if we each choose a direction, scout until mid-afternoon, and meet back here."
Cherise nodded. "Agreed. The trees seem taller to the west—at least, what I can tell from here. So I'll take that way and you go east?"
Chassy ducked behind a tree and emerged in the form of an eagle as large as Nita. He dropped his clothes in front of her for safekeeping, and she stuffed them into her bag.
And they were off. Cherise waved and disappeared into the trees. Nita followed Chassy with her eyes as long as she could before he shrank into a mote of dust against the sun and disappeared.
She settled down to rest and to ponder what the forest might offer that would improve the edibility of the porridge she was cooking.
***
By mid-afternoon, Cherise had returned, reporting no humans to the west. She slumped against a tree, her forehead running with sweat.
"Why is he going to the Mountain Kingdom, anyway? I thought he wanted to conquer the world."
"He's looking for either allies or enemies," William said.
"Who are these mountain folk?" Nita wondered.
"They live apart from other humans," Andrev said. "Very independent. Stories claim they fear magic, and eons ago, they killed villagers who displayed any such ability. Even the person with the special power would not fight it, because they believed the gods had cursed them."
All heads swiveled to Andrev.
"What? I read it in Temnor Avadav's People of the Wild Ways. They also refuse to use machines for anything, so even weaving with a loom is out. Temnor observed that the village executed a man even for using a compound crossbow. They forbid any device that lessens a person's need to work. They are encouraged to believe this by their queen, who wants to maintain absolute control. I do not think she would give up control to Gnarkvetch."
"Did your book tell all that?" It seemed to Nita that Andrev was holding back.
"No, actually. While I was studying with Granny, I read a number of books about Alyst
ra, the mountain queen," Andrev said. "She also claims to be a goddess, though that claim is unproven. But I still do not know why Gnarkvetch would go to her."
William rubbed his chin. "He needs willing allies. Otherwise, it's him against the world. Even among his guards, a large number are only trying to curry favor, or they follow him out of fear. That's why Robert and the rest of the crew are working to free the women and children. The soldiers will be able to make their own choices."
"So what's the chance we'll get to Gnarkvetch before he recruits his new army?" Nita wondered. It was a daunting thought, fighting an entire army of people who hated magic. "And where's Chassy? It's getting dark soon, and he should have returned by mid-day."
She squinted hard in all directions, searching for any sign of an eagle. Once, she thought she saw him, but it was only some other bird returning to its nest. They all kept watch. Andrev ventured into the stone gully to check if he had better visibility around a little bend. Cherise shinned up the highest trees in the area, but there was no sign of him.
It was full dark before they gave up and gathered back in the stony hollow.
"We'll strike out East in the morning," William said. "If he's still in the air, he'll see us before we see him."
But if he wasn't still in the air, where was he? Nita tossed around on her bedroll. Every time she dropped off to sleep, evil mountain people haunted her dreams. They crawled out of hidden crevices, using their long, pointed fingers to grasp the steep sides. They attacked her with rockslides. They breathed poisoned air on her to make her sick.
Nita gratefully took her turn at watch, because it relieved her of the requirement to sleep through the nightmares. She amused herself by examining the shapes of the shadows cast by the moons high overhead. The grass edging the tree line shone an eerie blue gray, the shadows shallow, like a painting.
A clicking sound shocked her out of her reverie and the shadows turned ominous. A mother possum emerged from the trees carrying a dozen or more babies on her back. One sneezing joey hurried to catch up, having missed its ride. Nita smiled at her own jumpiness, but this was a good reminder they were in a wild area and not back home.