Since an ambulance had brought her in, she had no way of getting back out to her place, so her plan was to walk the short distance to Minnie’s, get something to eat, and see if anyone she knew came in that she could bum a ride from. If not, she’d call Ed and see if she could get him to do it. She hated to bother him, but it was way too far for her to walk.
She was considering getting up and getting dressed, when a man gently knocked on the door to her room, before entering.
The first thing she noticed about him was his height. He was very tall, well over six and a half feet, probably closer to seven. Thin, with dark hair that was worn a little long, and pleasant features. He had arresting blue eyes and Lacy found herself instantly drawn to him.
“Hi,” he said, almost shyly. “I know this is weird, but my name is Solomon, and I’d like to talk to you about what happened.”
Lacy was surprised. Martinsburg was a small town, and she knew perfectly well that Ed and Steve were the only two cops. But maybe this one was from out of town, and maybe this wasn’t the first time that someone had been attacked like this.
“Oh, sure,” she said, sitting up a little straighter and running a hand through her hair quickly. “Glad to help.”
Solomon smiled at that, and Lacy liked his smile. It put her at ease even more. He indicated a chair, and she nodded. He pulled it closer to her bedside before sitting down.
“Can you tell me anything more about what attacked you?” he asked.
“Not really. I mean, not if you’ve talked to Ed already, which I assume you have. All I remember is that it was this black…shape. I know that sounds weird, and Ed certainly doesn’t believe me, but that’s what it was. A shape.”
Solomon was nodding, his gaze focused on the floor in front of his chair.
“Almost like it wasn’t really there, right?” he said. “Like it was made out of smoke…or shadows…or, darkness itself.”
Lacy shuddered a little at his words, the memory of the thing in the woods becoming clearer.
“Yes,” she breathed, “exactly. Like it was made out of darkness…until it grabbed me. I saw it then, or at least a part of it. Its hand…it was bone white, and so thin. It looked like it was coming out of an old sleeve, like black burlap or something…”
“And it was cold,” Solomon finished up for her.
“You’ve seen it,” she said. “What was it?”
Solomon shook his head.
“No, I can’t say I’ve seen it. I may have heard about it once, I’m not sure…”
“I’m just glad that someone believes me! Are you going to talk to Ed?”
“I’m sure I will. Thank you though. It’s been a big help talking to you.”
“No, thank you,” Lacy said. “I hope you guys can catch it, whatever it was.”
Solomon stood up to take his leave.
“Feel better Mrs. Roberts,” he said.
Lacy watched him leave, glad that someone else was on the case and wistfully wishing that Solomon would come back and talk to her some more. Then it wouldn’t be so bad waiting around to be discharged.
She walked into Minnie’s right after lunch. Minnie lit up when she came through the door.
“Lacy! Lord’s sake, what are you doing? Didn’t I hear you were in the hospital?”
“Hi Minnie. Yeah, I was. But they cleared me to go home. I thought I’d grab a quick bite and see if someone was around that could drive me.”
“Well, you just sit on down. We’ll get you fixed up and one of us will get you back to your place, no problem.”
Lacy smiled at that, once again struck by the good parts of living remotely. Martinsburg may not have a ton to offer, but it did have a strong sense of community, and she was grateful for it. Minnie, true to her word, drove her to her place after she had eaten, and stuck around long enough to make sure she was inside and safe. She smiled and waved from the door as Minnie backed the car around, and disappeared down the driveway.
But when she was alone, she wasn’t sure that she felt safe after all. Whatever had attacked her was still out there, and so was Luke. It was okay right now, still broad day light, but soon enough, it would be night again, and the dark shape with the cold, white hands could come out of the woods. It could walk, or float, or whatever it did, right up the steps, onto her deck. She’d have the sliders shut tight and locked, yes, but couldn’t extreme cold crack glass? If that thing put its hands on the glass and…
“Stop it,” she said to herself, saying the words out loud.
But as the day went on, she was getting more and more nervous. Before it was even dusk, she had made sure that all the doors and windows were closed and locked. She kept going to the kitchen and looking out over the backyard, toward the compost pile and the woods beyond, but seeing nothing.
When she heard the sound of an engine, she went to the living room to look. Ed’s police cruiser was pulling up, his solid frame behind the wheel, and a tall silhouette beside him. She felt a stirring of relief, and was surprised that as much as she admired and respected Ed, it was Solomon’s presence that she was reacting to.
The two men climbed out of the car and came to the door. Lacy didn’t make them wait, and had it open as they came up.
“Hey Ed,” she said. “Come on in. Nice to see you again, Solomon.”
She noticed Ed give Solomon a funny look when she said that, but glossed over it as something between them.
“Lacy,” Ed said. “Glad you’re feeling better. I wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing.”
“I’m good. You know, the arm still feels weird, but otherwise, I’m good. Thanks though.”
Ed nodded. “Glad to hear that, too. Keep an eye on that arm. It should clear up soon, sprains usually do. But, well, I don’t quite know how to say it, but I’m more concerned with…”
“My mental state, right?” she interrupted. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m pretty nervous. I know you don’t believe me, but whatever that was, it’s still out there.”
Ed nodded again. “Yep. Here’s the thing, it doesn’t really matter if I believe you or not. Not tonight, anyway. For tonight, we’ll stay around. My friend Solomon here and I will be out in the car. When morning comes and everything is good, we’ll head out, but for tonight, you sleep.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Ed,” she protested, hating the idea of needing anyone to make her feel safe or protected. “You’ve got your own family. Maggie will want you home.”
“Whose idea do you think this was? She told me to get out here, make sure you were okay and don’t be home until it’s light out again. I’m not going to argue with her. Or you, for that matter.”
Lacy shook her head. “Thank you, Ed. And thank Maggie for me too. Do you guys want something to eat?”
“Nah, we’ve got stuff in the car. I want to get back out there, keep an eye on things as the sun goes down. You go ahead about your business and don’t give two thoughts to us. We’ve got it.”
He smiled and touched his hat brim, turned, and left. Solomon, who had remained silent through the whole exchange, glanced at her, and followed.
She had to admit that having them around did make her feel better. She kept an eye on them as they walked around her backyard, followed by a huge, shaggy gray dog that Solomon would reach down and pet every now and then. The dog sniffed around the compost pile, looked into the woods and sniffed around there as well, then returned to Solomon’s side. That, more than anything else, made Lacy feel a little safer. Eventually, when nothing out of the ordinary happened, she went to bed.
CHAPTER 9
The trip back to Towering Oaks was harrowing. The coldness and feeling of dread had returned two more times during the course of the night, as if whatever was causing it was roaming the woods, seeking out prey. Shireen was positive that if not for their fire they would have become targets. They made sure it was well fed and took turns trying to sleep, but when the feeling returned it was so strong and pervasive that it penetrated into
their dreams, forcing them awake.
When the dawn finally broke, they were both exhausted and dreading the long ride ahead, but eager to be on their way at the same time. For the first time in her life as a scout, Shireen was eager to get back to the civilized lands, and to the safety of the Towering Oaks compound. Just looking at Orlando getting ready as quickly as he could was enough to confirm that he felt the same way.
The journey throughout the day was uneventful, and they rode until the sun was starting to drop beneath the horizon and the shadows in the woods were growing long. They discussed carrying on, regardless of the darkness, but Orlando cautioned against it.
“It’s too risky. We can’t see the ground well enough and neither can the horses. What happens if one breaks a leg? Plus, I really think we need a fire again. Maybe we left whatever that was behind, but I’d rather not chance it.”
Shireen had to agree, and they stopped near a stream to make camp. While Orlando gathered up wood for a large fire and started to prepare their evening meal, she tended the horses. After brushing them down, letting them drink their fill from the stream and giving them bags of oats, she brought them into the circle of firelight and hobbled them for the night.
After dinner, they sat near the fire talking about what they had found the day before, and coming to no new conclusions. Whatever had killed the Hairy Men had been terrible and indiscriminate, and almost certainly what had been around them the night before. Remembering that dread, they could understand why the Hairy Men had been running from it.
“But they were fleeing this way,” Shireen said.
“So? Whatever it is caught a band of them in the open and they panicked. They probably didn’t even think about what direction they were going in.”
“But there are no settlements near the border. We know that. You and I know that. How many times have we slipped over to check, and came back before they even knew we were there? What was it, ten miles or more to the nearest settlement?”
Orlando tilted his head as he regarded her. “You’re right, of course. I hadn’t thought of that. Why would they have been down near the border, with nothing to indicate that they were trying to settle there, or were a raiding party, or anything?”
“Because they were already fleeing when whatever it was caught up to them.”
“Then what happened up in their lands? Are they all dead?"
Shireen shrugged. “I don’t know. But the Hairy Men aren’t cowards. If they’re running, it’s from something pretty bad.”
“Should we go back? Try to see what happened?”
“No,” Shireen said, a little too quickly for her own comfort. “We need to tell Jediah what we saw. He can make the decision to send us, or someone else, back. But he needs to know.”
She tried to make herself believe that that was the only reason she was saying they shouldn’t go back, but truth was she was terrified. Whatever that was around their camp the night before had unnerved her badly, to say nothing of the sight of all the dead bodies they had found. If Jediah wanted to send them back, fine, she’d go without complaint, but she wanted to be better armed and prepared.
When darkness fully fell, they sat huddled together staring at the fire. They had ridden quickly during the day and were close to the shaped parts of the Greenweald. Barely into the wilderness, they hoped that whatever the menace was, it wouldn’t come this close to civilization.
An hour later, their hopes were dashed. Again, the woods fell silent, an unnatural condition that rang out to the experienced scouts like the loudest alarm bells. The temperature plummeted again, and they sprang to their feet, back to back, swords in their hands.
But whatever it was wouldn’t approach the circle of light and heat that their fire cast, although it did linger nearby longer than it had the previous night. The oppressive feeling stayed with them, the air heavy in their lungs until Shireen thought she would scream. The horses stirred against their hobbles and looked around with wild eyes and tosses of their heads. What felt like hours later, it finally passed on, the horses quieted and they sank to the ground, breathing heavily.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Orlando said quietly.
Shireen could only nod.
The menace returned more often this night than it had the one before. Enough that neither one of them slept, and by the time morning dawned they were both utterly exhausted. They packed up their supplies and groggily climbed on to their horses, eager to be gone from this spot.
Late in the day they rode into the Towering Oaks compound. Giving over their horses to a groom, they staggered to the main building and went inside. Other scouts and officers looked at their condition in surprise.
“What in all the gods’ names happened to you?” Lawrence, their commander, asked when they entered his chambers. He was seated behind a large desk that rose in one piece from the floor.
“We need to see Jediah,” Shireen said, sinking into an ornately shaped chair, while Orlando collapsed into another.
“You need to give me your report, first,” Lawrence said, but rose and poured two cups of cool wine from a bottle on a sideboard for them.
“Come with us, then,” Orlando suggested. “Trust us, Lawrence. We need to tell Jediah what we found right away.”
“Chain of command…” Lawrence began, but Shireen interrupted him.
“Oh, come on! When have we, either of us, ever been so much as slightly unreliable? You know us. If we’re saying we need to report directly to the Head of House, then we need to.”
Lawrence pursed his lips as he sat back behind his desk. Finally, he nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, go get some food, rest until I call for you. It shouldn’t be long.”
Shireen was shaken awake by Lawrence a short time later. She and Orlando had left his chambers and collapsed in chairs in the common area, where she had promptly fallen asleep. From the looks of it, so had Orlando.
“Come on,” Lawrence was saying. “Jediah will see us.”
He led the way out of the command building and to the large central tree of the Towering Oaks compound, which was shaped from a massive oak that soared hundreds of feet into the sky. Like all the Folks’ compounds, the central tree was so big that chambers had been formed inside of it, leaving the overall shape intact. The many balconies and platforms made from the living wood gave it a whimsical air, in direct counter-point to the iron-willed Head of House who dwelled there.
Lawrence led them into the tree and up the stairs within, until they came to a conference room. A long table had been shaped from the wood, with chairs pulled up around it. At the moment, the room was empty but for one man, who turned from the window as they entered.
Jediah, Head of House Towering Oaks, could have been shaped from wood himself. He was tall, even for one of the Folk and stood ram-rod straight. His skin was burned the color of old leather from the amount of time spent outside, in contrast to most of his people, who stayed fair-skinned regardless of their exposure to the sun. His long hair was an auburn color and was pulled back from his face and held in place by a golden circlet across his brow. Even here, in the heart of the Towering Oaks compound, he wore his armor. Burnished plate metal that gleamed from being polished, but that showed signs of wear and use. This was no ceremonial armor, but protection that was meant to be worn and put to hard use, and it had been.
Jediah was not known for his sense of humor, or patience. He was no-nonsense, liked to get to the point and expected loyalty and obedience from his troops. It was freely given, as every person under him knew that when trouble was afoot, Jediah was first in line to meet it.
Shireen had met with Jediah several times in the past, and every time had been uncomfortable. The only person that she had ever known that acted as if meeting the Head of House wasn’t a big deal was Solomon.
“Shireen, Orlando,” Jediah said when they entered. “Sit, both of you. You look like you’re about to collapse. Lawrence tells me that you came back f
rom patrol of the northern border with news that you believe should be brought directly to me.”
As Shireen had remembered, direct and to the point.
“Yes,” she said, sitting down gratefully, Orlando doing the same next to her.
They told Jediah and Lawrence what they had seen to the north, and also of the encounters during the nights. She wasn’t sure that she had relayed the feeling of dread that had assaulted them accurately, but Jediah began nodding as they spoke.
When they were done, he asked one question. “There were no marks on any of the bodies?”
“None,” Orlando said.
Jediah exchanged a look with Lawrence, who was visibly upset.
“You don’t know what it was, do you?” Jediah asked them, his voice low and quiet.
Shireen shook her head, but noticed Orlando start to speak but then stop. Jediah noticed also. “Go ahead,” he said.
Orlando looked uncomfortable. “My mother told me stories, but I was sure it was only that. Yet…what I saw, and more, what I felt, was an awful lot like what she had told me about.” He hesitated, and then lifted his eyes to Jediah. “I think it was a Soul Gaunt.”
Shireen started to laugh. Not at Orlando, never that. But at the audacity that he had to jest about this in front of the Head of their House. But then she noticed that neither Orlando nor Jediah were laughing. They were staring at each other and Jediah slowly nodded. The laughter died in her throat.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “That’s ridiculous. Soul Gaunts aren’t real. They’re made up stories to frighten children, like Orlando’s mother did to him.”
“Solomon fought one,” Jediah said, turning his gaze to her. “He beat it, too. The only single Folk I had ever heard of doing such a thing.”
Shireen felt as if her head was spinning. Part of it was being exhausted, she was sure, but the other part was very much because she was hearing children’s stories being discussed by those she respected, as if they were true. But they couldn’t be. Soul Gaunts weren't real…they were…weren’t they?
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