The Northern Approach

by Jim Galford

The group soon reached an open door set alongside the gate, where a single soldier stood guard while the others milled about, waiting for signals from their captain. The single guard looked up at their approach and his eyes widened as he met Estin’s. Before he could do anything more than look, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed, snoring loudly, as one of the priestesses attempted to hide her hands after casting a spell on him.

  “You are both as free as you were in the woods that are your home,” the old priest told Estin, turning to face him. “Run and never look back. I know of no reason your kind would be traveling north, but I wish you luck, if there is any luck left to be had in the world these days. May Kerrelin pursue but never catch your trail.”

  Shouts from behind them made Estin look over his shoulder. Far back in the city, he saw a large group moving down the streets and was pretty certain he saw black robes at the lead.

  “Go!” the priest said, shoving Estin out the door and then grabbing Feanne and pushing her after him.

  “What will you do?” Estin asked, getting a laugh from most of the priests.

  “We will obey our high priestess and start a war within a city’s walls that would make Kerrelin proud, with or without Rishad’s aid,” one of the priestesses told him before pushing the door closed. Estin heard the bar drop, locking them out.

  Turning northward, Estin saw nothing but endless plains ahead of them, mostly barren but gradually turning to the white of snow within a few miles. Even where they stood, the occasional snowflake floated down, despite the temperature being a little too warm for snow.

  Holding out her hand to catch a snowflake, Feanne smiled. “The warm bath was an even better idea in hindsight. There will be a lot of cold days to come.”

  Estin nodded and thought to the long winters they had spent together in the past and tried not to say anything. Instead, he set off toward the north, hoping they could find shelter to wait for the others, while silently offering up a prayer of thanks to the god Kerrelin. He had a feeling he would be doing that a lot more often in the future. There were so few days he found himself grateful for in recent times, but this was certainly one.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “No Turning Back”

  They wait for…there is a tree on an altar…so much death…do not haggle so…a wagon is a wagon…beware the wolves…

  Scribbled note: His fever grows worse and the pitiful excuses for healers who remain with us are unable to improve his condition. I fear leaving his side anymore, knowing that more than his own blood seeks to take the reign from him, but from here I stand no chance of finding Kharali. She alone can save Turess. If this man dies—especially for such a stupid reason as his wife failing to attend to him with the magic she was given for this exact reason—I fear his empire will turn into a bloodbath that could envelop the world. Kharali may well doom her race through inaction as Turess has doomed his empire through his actions.

  - Excerpt from the lost prophecies of Turess

  The wagon rolled to a stop just inside the gates of Jnodin, with Dalania and Yoska leading the horses to a nearby stable where they could be tended to. Meanwhile, Raeln and On’esquin remained hidden in the back of the wagon until they saw an opportunity to slip out and escape into the alleys.

  Once the stable boys were paid, Yoska and Dalania came back to them, checking behind them repeatedly to be sure they were not followed. Raeln had been nervous enough, but seeing the two who would be welcome in the city so on edge made him feel as though eyes were watching him constantly.

  “There is no talk of animal people yet,” Yoska told them, keeping an eye on the street as he spoke. “Stable boys would be first to gossip. Extra coin ensured they told me everything of import and will say nothing of our coming.”

  “They told you where you could find loose women and cheap alcohol,” said Dalania with a touch of disgust.

  “As I say…everything of import, yes?”

  Dalania took a slow breath to calm herself.

  Trying to distract them both from Yoska’s behavior, Raeln asked, “How do we get through the city? We are not stopping here any longer than we have to. I want to meet Estin and Feanne on the north side as soon as possible.”

  “You worry too much,” Yoska chided. “This I have taken care of. We have room at inn…which happens to be same place that lovely lady says is shameful….and in wee hours I meet man who can exchange our supplies for those we need in new lands. We then calmly walk out north gate in new clothes after I put shiny coins in guards’ hands. Is all working out as planned, yes?”

  “Do make sure that we aren’t revealed,” On’esquin warned grimly, pulling his robe’s hood forward as he had every few minutes since they had left the wagon. Every time a human had wandered past the alley, Raeln had watched him cover his face and turn away, afraid they would see his tattoos. “This close to the border, there will be no question of what I am. These people will see a Turessian invader, regardless of my skin color.”

  “Welcome to gypsy life,” Yoska replied, sighing. “All gypsy are seen as thieves.”

  That prompted Raeln to ask, “How exactly did you pay for the horses? We had no money. Did they accept Pholithian coin?”

  “Is bad prejudice, but is not always wrong, no?”

  “Tell me you didn’t steal the coin you used to pay the stable boys,” begged Raeln.

  “First you tell me not to lie, and then you tell me what to say. Is not a fair game, no?”

  “You are going to get all of us killed!” On’esquin growled, but then seemed to catch himself and relax both his tone and posture. Turning on Raeln, On’esquin then said, “Boy, if you do not calm yourself, I’ll be as jittery as you. Of the three of you, you are still generally the calmest, but I cannot keep my mind clear if you do not find some way to relax. When you want to throttle Yoska, I can’t help but feel the same.”

  Raeln realized On’esquin was right and his heart was racing for no good reason. They had not been found—at least not yet—and he had no reason to believe Estin had failed to reach the temple. Forcing himself to calm down, Raeln watched as On’esquin’s nervousness seemed to fade as well.

  “How can I possibly be the calmest one here?” Raeln asked once On’esquin had fully relaxed.

  Yoska and Dalania looked at one another and back at him, both appearing to be the epitome of calm.

  On’esquin answered for them. “The girl hides her feelings better than most and generally wants to run screaming every time she meets someone new. The gypsy is insane, drunk, or both.”

  Opening his mouth to object, Yoska stopped and glanced at Dalania, shrugged, and instead just stood there grinning as he offered a flask to her.

  Groaning, Dalania moved over beside Raeln.

  “Fine,” Yoska said a moment later, hiding the flask in his shirt. “We go to inn and give Estin time to save our fox lady so that they both can be happy again. I think we wait until morning and head to meeting place, yes? By then Feanne will either be dragging Estin back to us or they both will be dead.”

  “He was carrying her, last I saw,” Raeln pointed out.

  Yoska smirked at that. “Is not criticism of Estin. I know them both, and for as many times as Estin saves Feanne, Feanne has saved him. She is overdue, so I anticipate her fighting whole army to save him.”

  “He is right,” Dalania noted, “much as it pains me to say it. She is a warden of nature and does not normally require help from anyone…Estin is the exception.”

  “Are we sure one night is enough?” asked Raeln. “We could give him an extra day…”

  On’esquin replied first. “Yoska is right, Raeln. I saw her with my own eyes. She will not live until morning without help. I seriously doubt Estin will leave here unless she has been healed properly. Morning will be long enough. We will give him the whole day once we are out there, though. When the sun sets again, we will leave, with or without them. If they have not arrived by then, they are both dead.”

  That seemed to sober the who
le group, and Yoska barely mumbled, “Inn is this way.”

  Yoska led them through alleys when possible, and when it was not, he and Dalania would wait out on the street until it was clear before signaling the others to run to the next shadowed area. It was slow going, taxing Raeln’s nerves as much as his patience each time he repeatedly froze in place somewhere he might be spotted by anyone who looked too closely. Had they seen him, he had to believe it would be as comical as it would be startling to see a seven-foot wolf standing perfectly still and wide-eyed, waiting for them to leave.

  Eventually the group reached a large building that he would never have guessed to be an inn. There was no sign, no open door, no loud banter of the people inside. If anything he might have assumed it was abandoned, were it not for the flicker of candles in several of the windows. Even the higher-class inns he and his sister had visited over the years had been rowdier than this, and given that Yoska chose the place, he was concerned.

  “Are you sure this is the right building?” Raeln asked, standing in the shadows of a closed shop across the street. He jumped a little as a group of humans wandered past, though they did not seem to notice him or On’esquin. “I’m not feeling good about this.”

  Yoska smacked Raeln on the arm and walked across the street, saying over his shoulder, “That is the point, no? Best place to stay when you wish to remain hidden is place no one wishes to go. Besides, you would feel bad about any place frequented by thieves and murderers, yes?”

  Grumbling something in Turessian or gypsy, On’esquin set off after Yoska, keeping one hand on his hood to ensure it did not slip.

  Dalania stayed with Raeln and moved slightly behind him, staring at the old building. “I do not want to stay there, Raeln,” she whispered. “I was raised in a place like that and I have no wish to ever set foot in one again.”

  “Were you able to call animals to help you back then?” he asked jokingly.

  “No. I was a little girl.”

  “There’s a stable next door. If anything troubles you, call the horses to crash through the place. I’m certain the whole building will fall without much effort. Even if it doesn’t, I think all of us will recognize a stampede as a warning that we need to act quickly.”

  Dalania smiled nervously but made no attempt to follow the others.

  “I promise I won’t leave you alone,” Raeln told her and she smiled more sincerely. “Say the word and I’ll take you away from there, assuming Yoska doesn’t get me killed first.”

  Dalania hesitated a little longer, before taking his hand and tugging him toward the inn. She seemed as unsure as before, but Raeln got that she was counting on him to protect her, no matter what they found inside. No more than halfway across the street, a group of young human men—Raeln would have considered them ruffians back in Hyeth, though his sense of what that meant had changed in the last few months—came around the corner at the end of the street and stopped, staring at Raeln. They did not run or call for help, but stared at him as though they were unsure what they were seeing. Given the lack of hostility, Raeln had no choice but to ignore them and continue on. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the men look down at the flasks they carried, as though the alcohol had somehow created Raeln from thin air. To his surprise, they all quickly lowered their heads as if bowing.

  Raeln reached the door of the inn and hurried inside, holding the door until Dalania was through and then closed it, hoping he had not given them away by being seen. He kept his back to the inn’s interior, listening at the door for the sound of the town guard being called.

  “Raeln?” Dalania said, pawing at him frantically. “Raeln…I need you. Right now.”

  Turning, Raeln saw they were in a lobby, with five scantily clad women and two similarly undressed men at the far end. The group was watching them expectantly, while an older woman standing near the door tapped her foot impatiently. Yoska and On’esquin were nowhere to be found.

  “Your friend already has rooms set aside,” the old woman told them, eyeing Dalania briefly before returning her attention to Raeln. “Company will cost you extra, though Yoska has done enough for me in the past, I might be willing to send one to you for free and take it out of his hide another time. I have no doubt he will find his way back here a few more times.”

  “We don’t need company,” Raeln replied quickly, as Dalania moved to put him between herself and the woman. Dalania was practically ripping out his back fur as she clung to him for protection. “Point us to our room and let us be.”

  The old human woman laughed and motioned to one of the half-naked men, who led the way down one of the halls. Raeln followed him, with Dalania right behind, keeping one hand clamped tightly on his back.

  The hall led to only two rooms, the one on the left smelling of On’esquin and Yoska. Leading them into the right-hand room, the man stopped outside the door and smiled pleasantly at Dalania before looking up at Raeln and giving him an equally pleasant smile. Even Raeln knew an invitation when he saw one, despite never having been within a mile of a place like this. That was not anything Raeln even wanted to consider and hurried both himself and Dalania into the room. He quickly shut the door and tapped his forehead on the door in frustration. Greth would never have stopped harassing him about being that uneasy around a prostitute.

  “I do not want that man in here,” Dalania said firmly, backing away from the door.

  “I don’t either, Dalania,” he replied, thumping his head one more time. “The last thing I want is that kind of company.”

  Turning away from the door, Raeln saw the room contained only one bed, though it was a larger one than Raeln had seen in years. Given his size, it was refreshing to see a bed that was built to handle people at least as large as he was. Then, remembering Dalania was still there, standing silently near a dressing mirror watching the door, he began looking for a section of the floor large enough to sleep on. The room was clearly built around the bed, giving him almost no floor space that he could use unless he curled into a ball.

  “We can share it,” Dalania said suddenly, though she was still eyeing the door as if the human man would come barging in at any moment. She stopped wringing her hands for a moment, but then toyed with the end of her long hair, as though she had to fidget with something when nervous. “You, I don’t worry about.”

  That made Raeln’s ears stand straight, wondering what the woman was getting at. “What’s that supposed to mean? Yoska scares you, but I don’t?”

  Dalania laughed lightly, motioning to the bed. “Men are easy to read by their eyes. Yoska’s eyes are drawn to me, and I see in them thoughts of a woman who is gone. He has no malice, but he also has thoughts that he might act on. You watched the man outside this room the way Yoska looks at me, admiring while thinking of another. I understand and have no reason to fear you. This is why I already told you that I consider you like a brother. Why do you think I keep you close?”

  “And if you misunderstand me?”

  Dalania shook her head at that. “You continue to try to intimidate others, even those you trust,” she observed. “You fear being viewed as weak, when I doubt anyone would be willing to call you that. Do not put on a mask. I gave up hiding behind my own not that long ago, and for all my failings, I would never go back to it. Be who you are. Everyone already knows, so why hide?”

  Reluctantly, Raeln went to the bed and was soon joined by Dalania, who curled up against him. The woman made him think of his sister yet again, who had always been comfortable with him, even when others had made fun of her for sleeping with her brother. Like Dalania, she had done it because it made her feel safe, though in the end it had not been enough to save her.

  Deep down, it honestly made Raeln feel safer too.

  *

  Raeln woke early…insanely early, judging by the dark windows. He initially thought to return to sleep, but then realized he was alone in the room. Looking around, he could not find any sign of Dalania and the door was ajar. Sniffing, he found her scent was
faint, as though she had snuck away an hour or more prior. He could not pick up any other scents, hinting that she left under her own power.

  Getting up slowly and listening for any sound of trouble, Raeln went to the door and peeked out into the hall. There was no one out there that he could see, but somewhere in the house he could hear faint conversation in hushed tones. Following the voices, he made his way to the entry room, where he found the gathered prostitutes that had greeted them upon entry…plus a few more that had been occupied elsewhere at that time. As he entered the well-lit room, ten human faces turned his way, plus Dalania’s. The fae-kin woman smiled and waved him over to join them.

  “What’s going on?” he asked as he wandered closer. He hesitated just outside the group of people when, at almost the same time, one of the men and one of the women patted the floor beside themselves, giving him a coy smile. Too tired to even object, Raeln practically collapsed beside the man.

  “I had to face some old fears,” Dalania explained, getting nods from several of the humans. “Years of being forced into places like this or similar situations made me fear the place, rather than the people. I wanted to talk to them and see how they were being treated and let them know what the world is like outside the city…they don’t get much news, beyond city gossip.”

  The barely clothed group of humans whispered their agreement with her assessment, as the man beside Raeln put a hand on Raeln’s knee. Sighing, Raeln pushed his hand away, though the man seemed more amused by the act than dissuaded. Raeln began to wonder if he had become a game of sport for these people.

  “I’m sorry,” Dalania went on. “Yoska woke me when he got up to go make his deals over our wagon. I heard some of these fine folk up talking and chose to join them. We have learned much from one another.”

  “Like the fact that your group is the first we have seen go north in months,” one of the men noted. “Hundreds have fled south, but never north.”