And I'm its prey! She thought as she frantically kicked her horse into a faster gallop. Suddenly, she felt an electric shock race through her body and she heard a buzz of power in her ears. When she saw the lane vanish in front of them, she realized they'd passed through a holographic, protective barrier. In place of the dirt road, there was a little-used animal trail. The mysterious stranger led her deep into the dense forest as if he knew the way through the woodland maze. They zigzagged through trees and jumped small streams, avoiding open areas as much as possible. The echoes of the creature faded as they put distance between them. Yet the strange man kept the horses at a run for close to an hour. When she thought she could bear no more, the stranger finally slowed the horses to a walk.
"Who are you, and what the hell was that thing?" Jane demanded when she brought her horse next to the man. She nervously glanced over her shoulder, in search of the creature, before she brought her gaze back to her rescuer. With his cowl pushed down, she took advantage of the opportunity to study his profile. She hated to admit it, but she actually found him attractive, even handsome, in a rugged kind of way. The man looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Not overly muscular, he looked as sleek as a puma. His long brown hair, woven into a braid, flowed against his cloak and hung past his foot and she wondered if it touched the ground when he stood. His nose had a slight hump, as if it had been broken a time or two, and his bottom lip was fuller than the top, giving his mouth a slight, barely noticeable, pout. Feeling her eyes upon him, the stranger gave her a sideways glance and she finally got a full look at his eyes. They were bright yellow and they instantly captivated her. She suppressed a gasp of amazement. Like the eyes of a timber wolf, they practically glowed in the dark. A vague memory of seeing those yellow orbs flashed inside her mind, but the memory quickly retreated into the black emptiness of her memory, leaving only a ghost of a thought.
"It's a Glauc-tuko," the strange man answered in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were talking about the weather. His soft voice was a soothing baritone that calmed the quivering in her stomach. "They're nasty critters that hunt in packs. There's more than one behind us." She opened her mouth to ask one of the many questions that coursed through her mind, but he continued before a single sound passed her lips. "A Glauc-tuko is a nocturnal animal and we still have quite a few hours before daybreak. We have to keep going; there's no time to rest. As soon as the horses are able, we will be quickening the pace." The man tilted his head to one side as he studied her. "Although the creatures have keen night vision, they possess a very sensitive olfactory system and hunt mostly by smell. When we stop, we will have to find a way to hide your scent, but it will not be easy to fool the beasts."
"Where did that thing come from?" she asked softly when the man brought his attention back to the path. "And who are you?" He did not answer right away, but when he did, it was only a single word.
"Thane." The man concentrated on the path ahead, not bothering to look her way.
"Thane . . . what is that?" she asked, baffled by the stranger's simplistic answer. The word sounded familiar but she could not recall from where.
"Thane is my name," the man said, softly chuckling at her confusion. "I'm your Mlinzi."
"Are you some sort of cop?" She did not want another warden ordering her around. If it were not for the creatures hunting her, she would lose the man as fast as she could.
"More like a guardian."
Thane's simple answers only added to her irritation.
"Listen Thane, I'm sick and tired of riddles!" She let out a huff of frustration. "Give it to me straight." Now that the immediate danger was gone, the shock of the situation began to settle in. Tears burned at the back of her eyes and she fought the desire to cry like a baby. "What in the hell is going on?" To her shame, her voice quivered, and her body began to tremble. Trying to gain control over her emotions, she tilted her head to simulate superiority. She did not want this stranger to see her as an emotional wreck.
"This is not the place for explanations, Princess," Thane responded in a soothing tone. "We have to keep moving."
"When we stop, you'd better answer ALL my questions!" She tried to sound stern but realized she came across like an arrogant child.
"Now you sound like the girl I remember." Thane barked a laugh and gave her a slight smile that only lifted the corners of his mouth.
"You know me?" She wanted to slap the smirk off his face but she needed answers more than the gratification of seeing her handprint on his cheek.
"Of course I do, girl." Thane briefly glared at her before he turned back to the path. "Now stay quiet or you'll draw those creatures to us."
Embarrassment heated her face. The Mlinzi kicked his horse into a faster pace and she almost fell off when her mare leapt forward to follow. Questions swelled inside her mind, but she silently admitted Thane was right. Answering one question would only form more. However, she would finally learn her history once they stopped running from the creatures.
***
"Damn it." Inga watched as the princess disappeared into the forest. The smell of horse was strong in the barn and she kneeled to retrieve a ball of horse dung. With a snap of her fingers, a Glauc-tuko approached and she placed the moist feces to its nose. As another beast reached her side, she raised an article of the princess's clothing towards its snout. She thanked her intuition for bringing the Glauc-tuko to this planet, for the beasts possessed an uncanny ability to locate their prey, simply by their sense of smell. Although horses were a familiar smell on earth, the princess had her own unique essence and even if the girl tried to mask it, Inga's pets would easily track her. As the Glauc-tuko inhaled the fragrances, they gurgled in excitement. Inga mounted the largest of the Glauc-tuko before she spoke a single word. "Hunt."
***
The moonless night and thick woods caused a deep, unnatural blackness. Jane wondered if Thane could see in the dark with those piercing, yellow eyes, for the horses, despite the fast trot, never once lost their footing. The sound of swift running water thundered to her right, yet she could barely see past the tan horse in front of her. They continued their frantic escape with Thane occasionally slowing their pace to rest the horses. He rarely spoke, except to give her an order or two before spurring them into yet another breath-taking gallop. As the rising sun turned the night sky into a torrent of blue blotches, swirling pinks and bright yellow stripes, she could tolerate no more.
"Thane, I have to get off this horse. My legs are numb," she whined in pain. When he did not respond to her plea, she pulled on the reins to stop the horse. Without waiting for his response, she practically fell off the animal and crumpled to the ground.
"What are you doing?" Thane spun his mount around to frown down at her. "Get back on your horse. We'll stop when the sun is full."
"If you don't mind, I have to pee," she snapped. Holding onto the stirrup, she forced her numb legs to support her weight. She blatantly ignored Thane as she shakily left the small clearing and made her way into the forest for some privacy.
"Get back here!" Thane growled as he dismounted his animal.
"After I relieve my bladder," she called over her shoulder before ducking behind a tree. Satisfied that Thane had not followed, she quickly found a spot where the morning mist was thick and adjusted her clothes. She understood the dangers of lingering and hurried as fast as she could. As she started back to the clearing, the low hiss of a reptile stopped her in her tracks. To her horror, a faint shadow of something large passed by her no more than an arm's length away.
The scream of a terrified horse filled the air as the sound of fighting echoed from the clearing. Too frightened to run, she stepped backwards towards a huge oak tree. As she stared into the dense fog, two red orbs, like fireflies, flashed into existence and flowed before her. Her heart pounded in terror when she realized the orbs were eyes. The form of a Glauc-tuko became visual. The monster opened its jaw, showing its razor sharp teeth. Frozen in fear, she could only watch as a
string of gooey saliva dripped from its maw. Talon-like claws clicked open and the creature hissed.
"Go away!" she whispered frantically, seeing her ultimate demise. She screamed when the Glauc-tuko hissed again and tensed its body to spring. As she felt the hard bark of the tree scratch against her skin, the power inside her surged into life. Instinctively, she pushed the energy into the plant and the surrounding grove shook at the force of her will. As the creature launched itself, two large branches crashed together, splattering the beast into a pulp. The sickening sound echoed in her ears as the Glauc-tuko's body flattened into a mangled mess. Her stomach heaved when its black blood splashed onto her face and filled her mouth with its gore. She watched with a mixture of horror and perplexity as the remains of the Glauc-tuko vanished beneath a tangle of twigs and leaves. When the tree wrapped its limbs protectively around her, a sense of calmness filled her being. Cocooned inside the hard wood, exhaustion from the long night and the use of her power instantly overcame her and she fell asleep in the tree's protected circle.
***
When Jane woke, she found herself lying at the foot of the tree. Though at first disoriented, the past events came flooding back when the sun gently caressed her skin. The yellow orb crested the top of the pines and its rays of light illuminated the small area where she had left the Mlinzi. Her stomach heaved at the sight of battle and she emptied its contents. Both horses lay dead, ripped apart by the creatures, their intestines scattered across the blood-soaked ground. As she timidly stepped past the severed head of a Glauc-tuko, it twitched and closed its jaws. Even in death, it tried to attack her. She counted two dead monsters. Blood and gore covered the clearing, but there was no signs of the mysterious warrior.
"Thane?" Jane searched the area for the strange man, half-afraid to find his mutilated body among the carnage. "Thane, where are you?" her voice quivered with fright. He was her only companion in her flight. She was alone in the wilderness with ferocious creatures hunting her and she was terrified. "Please be alive."
A few feet away from where she stood, a bushy vine swayed at the sound of her voice. The huge plant convulsed as if in a seizure, before it peeled like an onion shedding its layers to reveal the stranger. With a cry of relief, she ran to where he lay, but when she knelt down beside him, she saw he was badly injured. He bore a deep slash across his torso, from shoulder to abdomen. Blood dripped from the protruding bone of his left forearm. However, what scared her the most was his blood-smeared face. Underneath the gore, she could see his complexion was grey and his lips bloodless. He did not respond to her touch when she brushed his blood-matted hair from his closed eyes.
"Oh, dear Gods, you need help." Tears filled her eyes. At a loss for what to do, she scanned the area in search of help in the dense forest. In her grief, her Gift surged and opened her eyes to her surroundings. Every fiber of her being was alive as her uncontrolled power reached outwards to connect with other life forms around her. She could feel the rush of chlorophyll inside every plant and the rapid heartbeats of the frightened woodland creatures hidden in the surrounding foliage. If it had not been for the years of suppressing her Gift, she doubted she would have managed to control the unchecked energy before she became lost in its intoxication. She focused her thoughts on her predicament and realized she was not alone. She was surrounded by all forms of life, each a living, breathing entity, capable of thought and feeling, willing to help. Not sure what the forest could really do to assist them in their dilemma, she placed the fingertips of her right hand on the ground, closed her eyes and released the energy as she thought of their situation.
Instantly, the grove swayed and groaned. Branches from the surrounding bushes curled around Thane, gently lifting the wounded man from the ground. They carried him to the water's edge by passing him from bush to tree. The thunder of the water that she had heard throughout the night came from a large creek that ate its way through the mountainside on its way to the ocean miles away from where they stood.
"How did I do this?" she asked aloud in fear, astonishment and exhaustion. "What am I?" Watching in amazement, Jane could not believe what was happening before her eyes. Somehow, the energy communicated her needs to the plants and they came to her aid for the third time within a day. She felt a wave of dizziness course through her head, but she pushed aside her tiredness to focus on the warrior.
The faint screech of a Glauc-tuko echoed off the mountainside and she spun around in fright. The strange man had said the monsters were nocturnal. However, the trees were so dense it was dark enough to be twilight. Trapped by the approaching creatures and the white water behind her, she grabbed the closest stick for a weapon, not fully confident of the forest's protection.
To her left, a pine tree shook like a wet dog, causing its brown needles to fall to the ground like rain. With a squeal of surprise, she ducked when the tree exploded. With a crash, half of the trunk fell close to the swift-moving water. To her astonishment, she watched in awe as thousands of insects swarmed the dead tree, chewing the inside to form a makeshift haul. Bushes extended their branches to seal and strengthen the trunk, forming a wooden canoe.
The urge to hop inside the canoe without hesitation was strong, however, she glanced over her shoulder at the carnage behind her. With a muffled curse, she raced back to the site and searched for provisions. With a sour face, she rummaged through the saddles of the dead horses and gathered the necessary items for survival. She had no idea where they were but, with an educated guess, she assumed they were heading towards the Mackenzie or Yukon River. Both rivers had only a scarce population along their banks and flowed in the opposite direction of where she wanted to go. South, not north was the direction she wanted to head, however the river was their only means of escape and they needed supplies.
As she made her way back to the canoe, she spied a shiny object partially hidden under a branch. She kicked the stick with her foot and revealed Thane's sword. She retrieved the instrument of death. The curved sword was heavy and awkward to carry as she ran back to the craft. The grove had already laid the unconscious man inside the hollowed trunk and she hopped in beside him. After inserting the sharp blade into the sheath at Thane's side, she gently tucked her backpack behind the wounded man's head.
"Thank you!" Jane touched the last branch when it uncurled from the Mlinzi. A leaf brushed against her cheek affectionately before the bush pushed the trunk into the flow of water.
The river was a torrent of white rapids, and tiny, tiered falls. She flung herself over Thane and held on for dear life, gritting her teeth in fear and determination to keep them inside the tree trunk. Minutes felt like hours as the wild river whipped them about like a feather in the wind. Her arms ached with the strain of keeping them both from falling into the treacherous white water. Fatigue began to weaken her muscles and her left hand slipped from the edge of the trunk. Thane's body shifted from under her as she frantically regained her grip on the wet wood.
To her relief, the creek finally widened and calmed. Lowering her head to rest on Thane's shoulder, she succumbed to fatigue. Her body trembled from exertion and she gasped for breath. As her breathing slowed, Jane's mind registered her position on top of the injured man. Mortified that she might be causing him more harm, she scrambled toward the opposite end of the canoe. She stared at the stranger for a moment, summoning the courage to tend to Thane's wounds. With a deep breath to steady her nerves, she reluctantly drew closer.
Thane was pale from the loss of blood. His breath was shallow and his pulse weak, almost nonexistent. Jane inspected the slice across his torso, and was relieved to find a deep, but non-penetrating laceration through the muscle layer. His left forearm was broken in a compound fracture. She removed her jacket and stripped off her outer shirt. She tore it into strips to bandage the wound, then fashioned a splint out of two twigs tied with a vine. As she continued her inspection, she shifted her position to get a closer look at the warrior's head. The makeshift canoe did not give her much space and she had t
o straddle the man to tend to him. She hissed at the site of the nasty laceration on the left side of his forehead, which had bled profusely and matted his brown hair against his scalp. Concentrating on Thane's head wound, she pulled the blue handkerchief out of her back pocket and soaked it in the cold river. As she gently cleaned the blood from his face, she spied two tiny splits slightly below each of his ears.
These can't be gills, she thought as she lightly brushed her fingers against one of the odd slits. Refusing to acknowledge that the man could be amphibious, she concentrated on cleaning the bloody mass of hair away from the gash. Jane gasped when she saw the severity of the injury. When she saw the flash of white beneath the red tissue, she realized it was his skull.
"Don't you dare die on me!" Her voice quivered as she washed Thane's face. Although she did not fully trust the stranger, she did not want him to die.
"This is all my fault." Laden with guilt, she tenderly brushed her fingers against Thane's cheek. "If I hadn't stopped, this wouldn't have happened." A tiny arch of electricity sparked between their skins and she jerked her hand back in surprise. The tingle traveled the length of her arm and warmly spread throughout her body, easing the tension of her tired spirit.
"I wonder?" An idea began to form in her mind. If her Gift could get the forest to do her bidding, maybe, just maybe, she could heal too. Hesitantly, she leaned over Thane to place her fingers on each side of the horrific wound and concentrated on healing him.
Nothing happened; there was no spark of noticeable energy. Thane's breath rattled inside his chest and a trickle of blood flowed from his nose. Tears blurred her eyes and huge sob raked through her body. She was sure he would be dead in a matter of minutes. Fear and anguish ignited the Gift deep within her core. Although it was a weak current, she took advantage of its presence and pushed the energy into the man's head. As she concentrated on sending the energy into his wound, she felt as if her soul fragmented and a tiny sliver of her spirit flowed into the unconscious man. Thane's body jerked violently and his wound turned bright red. Blood oozed between her fingers. Frightened for his life, she focused her energy on closing the wound. Again, Thane thrashed, almost knocking her out of the canoe, yet she continued to push the energy into his body. Slowly, the ugly wound turned pink and began to knit.
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 4