Finn suppressed a grunt of effort. Her legs already felt like pottage transitioning from the ship to dry land, and the added weight made her feel even more off balance. It would not do to topple over and land on one of the corpses, visible now that they’d entered the city.
Iseult prowled at her side, his eyes keen on the surrounding buildings, all showing signs of being touched by fire. At their backs walked Ealasaid, Maarav, Tavish, and Rae. Maarav still held the reins to his and Iseult’s horses. The animals remained eerily quiet, as if sensing the ghosts of the dead. Kai, Anna, and Anna’s crewmen had taken another route. They would all search for supplies, then reconvene at the city gates to begin their journey.
They now walked in the direction of Maarav’s inn, since he’d insisted they check in on the establishment. Finn didn’t know what he was hoping to find, it seemed most everything had been destroyed, but she supposed if he had a cellar some goods might remain.
She quickly averted her eyes from the ground as she stepped around another charred corpse. It wasn’t the first body they’d come across, and it surely would not be the last. Many had been killed.
She hurried forward, only to have Iseult reach out a hand to stop her. “Don’t look down,” he instructed, but the warning came too late. At their feet lay a child, badly burned like many of the other bodies.
She raised a hand to her mouth, afraid she might be sick.
Seconds later, from behind her, Ealasaid gasped. Naoki hissed at the noise, prompting Ealasaid to then let out a surprised yip.
Iseult put an arm around Finn and led her forward. Surprisingly, Naoki did not seem to mind his presence, or else found him more frightening than Kai, and so refrained from hissing at him.
“Are you sure you want to walk all the way to your inn?” Iseult grumbled, looking over his shoulder toward Maarav.
“We need supplies,” Maarav replied simply, “and our best chance of finding them is my inn. With any luck, the cellar will be intact.”
“I think I’m going to be ill,” Ealasaid muttered as they passed another body. “This is far worse than Uí Néid.”
“The dead there were freshly killed,” Maarav explained. “It’s different once they’ve been lying around for a while, but you’ll get used to it.”
Ealasaid snorted. “I’d rather not get used to seeing corpses at all.”
Finn attempted to take a steadying breath, but inhaled too deeply. Her stomach convulsed, forcing her to bend forward. The smell of the charred corpses was too much for her, and she found herself expelling what little food was in her belly. Naoki hopped to the ground and chittered nervously at her side as Iseult kept a hand on her back, waiting for the moment to pass.
As Finn’s nausea began to wane, she heard someone else retching behind her, and turned to see the red-haired man, Tavish, had also lost his morning meal. The sight somehow made her feel slightly better.
“Perhaps some of us should go ahead to the gates,” Maarav sighed, glancing between Tavish and Finn. “Rae and I can gather the supplies on our own. With only two of us, we can ride the rest of the way.”
“And what if you encounter whoever killed all these people?” Ealasaid gasped.
Maarav gestured to the desolate streets. “Take a look around you, my girl, no one is left in this cursed place.”
Finn crouched to allow Naoki back onto her shoulders, then looked to Iseult for his opinion, secretly hoping he’d agree with Maarav so she wouldn’t have to continue looking at the bodies.
Iseult nodded in understanding, then turned his gaze to his brother. “I’ll take the women . . . and Tavish, to the gates,” he agreed. “But be quick with your tasks, I’d like to be far from this place come nightfall.”
“We all would,” Tavish muttered, then gestured for Ealasaid to walk ahead of him toward Iseult and Finn.
The four of them changed directions, making their way toward the gates, while Maarav and Rae climbed atop the horses and continued on toward whatever might remain of Maarav’s inn.
Finn walked beside Iseult in silence for some time, deep in thought, keeping her gaze upward to avoid looking too closely at any more corpses.
“Do you know what’s odd?” Tavish blurted suddenly.
Finn jumped, realizing the man was walking close to her other side, though she noted he was peering around her toward Iseult.
Iseult did not reply, but Tavish still continued, “It’s odd that we seem to only be seeing the corpses of townsfolk and the city guards.”
“Why is that odd?” Ealasaid questioned, walking a few paces behind them.
“Because in any battle there are casualties on both sides,” Iseult answered grimly.
“So you did notice,” Tavish commented, seeming relieved that he wasn’t the only one to find the situation strange.
“Yes,” Iseult replied simply.
Finn wished she could be so observant, but she’d been too busy trying to pretend they weren’t surrounded by any corpses, let alone only those of the townsfolk.
“So what do you think happened?” Tavish continued, once again looking past Finn at Iseult.
“Either the bodies of the opposing forces were taken,” Iseult explained, “or the townspeople were killed by a force so great they all died where they stood. Now keep your mouth shut. Dangers may still lurk.”
Wide-eyed, Tavish snapped his mouth shut and glanced around warily. Finn couldn’t say she was glad for the silence. It seemed to bring out the eeriness of their surroundings. As far as she was concerned, they couldn’t reach the gates soon enough.
Naoki let out a sudden squawk from her perch on Finn’s shoulder. Finn stumbled, but Iseult’s hand darted out to catch her arm before she could fall.
Maintaining his grip on her, Iseult glanced around for what had alerted Naoki. Finn looked too, until her eyes caught a hint of movement a few feet away. She pointed, just as Tavish seemed to notice the same movement.
It was the corpse of a young woman, less burned than the rest, but still just as dead. Her limp body was wriggling back and forth, though none of her limbs seemed to be responsible for the movement.
“The dead are coming to life!” Tavish gasped.
“No,” Iseult said coolly, then released Finn’s arm to step forward.
He withdrew his sword, lowering the tip toward the woman’s still wriggling body. At first Finn thought he might use the sharp edge to skewer her, but instead he slid the point beneath her torso, then flipped her body over, revealing a small creature that had been trying to free itself from the trapping weight of the corpse.
It struggled to its clawed feet, checking over its craggy, rock-like skin for injuries with its spherical eyes. One of its bat-like wings seemed to be broken.
“It’s a Grogoch,” Finn gasped.
The Grogoch jumped at the sound of her voice, then trembled in fear as it looked up at Iseult. Naoki hopped off Finn’s shoulder and crouched on the ground, prepared to pounce the Grogoch.
“Wait!” Finn cried, then knelt beside Naoki to halt her pounce. However, Iseult looked just about ready to pounce the small creature himself, and Finn couldn’t blame him. They’d met Grogochs before. Not only had many townsfolk danced themselves to death, but both Finn and Iseult had been rendered unconscious long enough for Kai and Anna to kidnap her.
The Grogoch blinked up at her, still trembling.
“What happened here?” she demanded. “Did you sing the townsfolk to sleep so the other Faie could murder them?”
Naoki let out a low growl.
The Grogoch was trembling so violently she thought it might wet itself. “N-no, lass,” it sputtered in its humming voice. “I was only here to have a bit of fun, then they attacked. I was knocked down and my wing was broken.” It gestured pleadingly with its taloned hands at the drooping wing.
“We know these creature’s tricks,” Iseult muttered. “We should kill it and move on.”
“No!” it rasped. “I did no wrong!”
Finn held up a
hand toward Iseult, halting his sword arm.
“Tell me what happened,” she instructed. “Who attacked?”
“Other Faie,” the Grogoch whispered. “Elementals, led by someone powerful. The elementals never meddle in the world of humans. They must have been forced.”
Something tickled at the edge of Finn’s memories. She knew something about these elementals, but couldn’t quite place what it was. “Tell me more about the elementals,” she urged. “Tell me everything you know and you will not be harmed.”
“Finn-” Iseult began to argue, but she silenced him with a pleading look.
“Cannot be killed,” the Grogoch explained. “These ones were made of pure fire. Whoever commanded them did not reveal themselves. Many of the townsfolk fled, but others tried to fight. Silly men. Stood no chance.”
Goosebumps broke out across Finn’s entire body. She knew she’d encountered elementals in her previous life, but could not quite recall the event, just like all her other memories. She knew they were there, buried somewhere deep within her subconscious, but she had no access to them.
The Grogoch was eyeing her suspiciously, as if wondering whether she’d go back on her word.
Several pairs of footsteps sounded behind Finn’s back. She turned for just a moment to see Kai, Anna, Sativola, and the other two crewmen jogging toward them, carrying sacks of supplies over their arms, but when she turned back, the Grogoch was gone.
“We should not have let it go,” Iseult muttered as the others reached them.
“What are you all standing around for?” Kai questioned upon arrival.
Finn frowned and turned back to Iseult. Their eyes met, and she tried to silently let him know there were things they needed to discuss. He seemed to understand her silent meaning, as he nodded, then turned his gaze to everyone gathered around them.
“Let us leave this place,” he instructed. “Hopefully Maarav and Rae will have already made their way to the gates.”
Soon Naoki was back on Finn’s shoulders, and the party continued onward. Finn hardly noticed the corpses they passed, her mind entrenched in trying to recall her memories.
She was not sure who would be able to command the elementals, but she felt it was critical she find out. If elementals could not be stopped by human means, perhaps they could be stopped by one of the Dair. If they could, she needed to figure it out fast, lest they come for her and her friends next.
Chapter Two
Anna’s feet were beginning to ache, but she kept her complaints to herself. After so long at sea, her limbs and mind felt useless. She was surprised with how little she’d seen in Migris. After all that had taken place there, she’d expected to be jumping at her usual shadows, but the city had seemed dead. All that was left was a bit of magical residue and corpses.
After meeting with Maarav and Rae, the party spent the rest of the day heading east down the Sand Road. Ealasaid and Finn had both spent much of the journey on the two horses, but Anna had refused her turn. She could walk as far, likely farther, than any of the men. She had, however, allowed the men to strap their proffered supplies behind the horses’ saddles. They had found unharmed food in several cellars, along with a few extra bedrolls, some cloaks, and a bit of coin.
After leaving the horrors of Migris behind, they’d had no relevant encounters besides a caravan camped on the side of the road. They had been on their way toward Migris when they heard of what happened there, and were preparing to turn around the next day. The group did not know about what Finn claimed were elementals, only that the city had been burned.
While the others had conversed with the caravan, Anna had kept her eyes cast to the side, waiting in the background with Finn while she clutched Naoki, wrapped in a cloak like a baby - an enormous baby - to keep her hidden. Anna had at least been grateful for the odd distraction of Finn at her side. She didn’t want to know if any of the caravaners were magic users. She already had to see Finn shining like a glittering star. She didn’t need to see anyone else.
The only problem with keeping her eyes continuously cast askance was that she’d see things in the surrounding forest. Magic-type things. Unlike Migris, the woods were alive with movement. Nothing solid, really, just flickers of light, and numerous gray shapes that seemed to be watching the party as they progressed down the Sand Road.
More problematic still, was the fact that soon it would be dark. She always saw more strange things in the night than in the day, whether she was awake or asleep. She did not look forward to her dreams that evening. The sea had offered a relative feeling of safety. There she only had to interact with a few people, and her direct surroundings. On a ship, she knew the gray shapes she was seeing weren’t physically there. In the woods, there was no telling what was real or illusion.
“We should make camp soon,” Maarav stated, the black cloak draped over his shoulders fluttering in the icy wind.
Anna clenched her jaw at the idea, though outwardly she agreed with a nod. She would have to rest at some point, and she might as well get it over with.
“Somewhere away from the road,” Iseult added, walking protectively by Finn’s side. “We are safer where we cannot be seen.”
Everyone nodded and muttered their agreement. After what they’d seen in Migris, they all feared what they might meet on the road, but it was also the fastest route away from the coast. A worthwhile risk. That same logic did not apply to sleeping. For sleep, they would hide in the shadows, and hope that the shadows weren’t what they needed to be hiding from.
With everyone in agreement, Iseult led the way off the path and into the trees. While Anna would defer to the judgement of very few, she found she had no problem deferring to Iseult. She didn’t particularly like the gruff man, but she knew one thing about him for sure. He was a survivor. It was wise to follow survivors if one hoped to remain among the living, especially in times like these.
Kai stuck close to Anna’s side as the party made their way into the forest, likely worried about her sanity. She’d kept him abreast of the things she’d seen, and fortunately he believed her, but his worry was evident.
Worry, she could deal with. She was just glad she had someone to confide in. Of course, how could he not support her after all they’d been through?
She flexed her palms, trying to banish her nerves. The trees seemed to be closing in around them, but she knew it was only in her head. Their broad leaves, shaped like large hands, cast eerie shadows in the dying light, but did not actually move.
Her remaining crewmen muttered behind her back about the ships they’d left behind. Fools. They hadn’t lost out. It was her ship they’d left. Though she knew the friend she’d procured it from hadn’t charged her full price, it was still a greater loss for her than anyone else. The men didn’t know how lucky they were now to be traveling with skilled fighters. She didn’t know much about the girl, Ealasaid, but knew Iseult, Kai, Maarav, and Sativola knew what they were doing with their blades. Their party was better protected than most traveling these now forsaken lands.
Now that they were concealed within the woods, Finn let Naoki down to roam around. The little dragon scented the ground and ran circles around everyone’s feet, but never strayed too far from her mother. Anna was surprised to notice Iseult smiling at the creature as she took the end of Finn’s cloak in her beak and tried to tug her along . . . or perhaps he was just smiling at Finn. Either way, Anna had previously thought him incapable of smiling at all.
Soon they reached an area Iseult deemed secluded enough, and Anna exhaled in relief. Her feet felt like icy bricks, weighing her down with every step.
There was enough of an opening in the trees for everyone to lay out their bedrolls, with a few fallen logs for seating. She knew they’d found enough supplies within Migris for a hearty supper, though they’d be wise to ration what they had, not knowing where the next batch of supplies might be found. Unfortunately, she had a sneaking suspicion it would be difficult to keep things fair, considering her crewmen alre
ady seemed to be arguing with Maarav’s as they set up their bedrolls.
“We need to get to Port Ainfean,” one of her crewmen said. “We can sail the river Cair, far away from any Reiver ships, then return to the sea when it’s safe.”
One of Maarav’s crewmen, Rae, Anna thought his name was, turned to the other man, Tavish, and muttered that they should head north.
“North?” Anna’s crewman blurted. “Why in the name of the Horned One would you want to head north? Nothin’ up that way but Reivers.”
Maarav’s two crewmen met each other’s eyes, but did not comment, and instead stood and walked off together, muttering quietly to each other. Soon Anna’s crewmen followed, demanding to know the reason for heading north.
Finding Maarav’s crewmen suspicious, but seeing little she could do about it in that moment, she turned her gaze to the remaining portion of the group. Ealasaid seemed to be upset about something, and Finn was fussing over her like a mother hen, while Kai and Iseult started stacking wood for a fire.
Ealasaid began to cry, and Maarav took Finn’s place, ushering the girl off into the woods to speak in privacy.
Anna shook her head and turned back to her bag of procured supplies. They would all need to be sorted and doled out properly, and she was obviously going to be the one to do it, since no one else was offering.
“I’ll get some more wood for the fire,” Sativola sighed, having finished tending to Maarav and Iseult’s horses.
“Thank you,” Anna muttered, pleased she wouldn’t have to do everything.
By the time she’d finished sorting the supplies, Kai and Iseult had a roaring fire going. While the fire might draw unwanted human attention, it would hopefully keep other creatures at bay. Plus, it was absolutely freezing in the forest, even though they were still well within the growing season by Anna’s estimation.
Leaving the bundled supplies behind, she moved toward the fire, holding her gloved palms outward to warm them. The sun had nearly set, casting odd, long shadows through the trees.
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