The Arrival: An Epic Fantasy Romance

by Nicole MacDonald

  They nodded and we shuffled around, stuffing everything into the packs, Kassie somehow ended up with a full one. The snap of twigs alerted us to another of those creatures quite a bit closer. I could see this one more clearly and the sight made my blood run cold. The skin looked clammy like an amphibian and its hands were tipped with talon-like nails. I shuddered in disgust. It stayed there, silent and observing like the other one but you could sense their intent. A strange predatory energy seemed to resonate off them. Audrey kept up her low angry growl, punctuated with the occasional sharp bark, eyes fixed on the first creature. The weapons made sense now. 'Strap on your weapons,' I insisted and we set to getting them on.

  Loi’s long sword had a scabbard that could be worn across the back or on the hip. My sword scabbard did the same and Sian helped me get it on my back, lifting it up my arms while I rolled my shoulders to help get the straps in place, our gazes constantly watching those two creatures. Loi had hers on in a flash but then she’d worn them before. I hastily buckled the daggers onto my arms and Loi fastened the strap that ran from shoulder to shoulder.

  Kassie moved slowly to Loi’s side. 'Loi, can I pop Lucky in your pack?' Loi quickly lowered the pack to the ground, keeping her eyes on the creatures. Kassie opened the pack and tried to get Lucky in it. The cat protested loudly and we all winced at the sound but the creatures didn’t move. More forceful this time, Kassie stuffed Lucky in, snapping the cover shut. Loi slipped the pack on. 'Right, let’s go,' Kassie said in a firm but quiet voice, tugging the straps of her scabbard tighter.

  'Where?' I hissed.

  She nodded beyond where I stood and I turned. There appeared to be a track, though not much of one. I turned back and met her questioning gaze with a shrug. 'It could be a path.'

  'Have to do,' she retorted while staring at the other two.

  Loi looked pale and managed a nervous nod. Sian motioned us to step closer and spoke quietly. 'We’re going to need to run. Kassie and Loi, you guys lead. Cat, you and I’ll take up the rear. Loi, keep your sword drawn. You too, Cat, and give me one of your daggers.'

  I nodded and slipped a dagger out of its sheath handing it over then drew my sword, struggling with the length until Kassie flicked the tip out. My heart pounded in my chest. The rush of adrenaline made me dizzy, my stomach queasy.

  Loi touched my shoulder, her eyes anxious and voice strained. 'Hold it low with the point raised slightly, remember to lift it as you go over things and be aware of where the end is. You don’t want to skewer any of us by accident.'

  I squeezed her arm gently and met her gaze with as reassuring a look as I could muster. 'I’ll manage.' I sounded far more confident than I felt in that moment. We shifted positions and stared at each other for an instant. Then Kassie’s face wrinkled in a scowl before she snapped in a stage whisper, 'Now!' We raced off. Crashes and furious shrieks came from behind. I didn't dare look back in case I lost track of the end of my sword.

  Sian risked a quick glance. 'Move it guys!'

  Loi’s pulse throbbed at her temple and she willed the migraine away. That's the last thing I need right now, she thought, focusing on the scant track they followed. Please, please let this lead somewhere, somewhere safe! Behind her, Cat gave a sharp shout for Audrey who barked furiously, sounding even further back. The crashing noises following them seemed to pause for a moment before starting again. Something furry brushed against Loi’s calf and she jerked away with a gasp. Kassie gripped her arm tightly, pulling her in the right direction and relief made her temple pound again when she realized Audrey raced alongside them.

  'Okay?' Kassie panted.

  'Okay!'

  My breath burned in my chest while I willed my legs to move faster. The narrow track veered all over the place; we ducked under branches and dodged around trees. Woody fingers ripped at my face while I followed as close to Loi as I dared, my mind shouting instructions while I ran. Sword up, Cat, watch where the end is. Bloody hell! I tripped but managed to stay up.

  'Careful!' Sian gasped.

  Terror crept into my belly and made my knees feel wobbly and useless. No, I thought fiercely, pay attention, watch where you place your feet. I kept my view narrow focusing on the path. The forest flew by in a blur of greens and browns. Please don’t let there be any more of those things out there. There's no way I would see them. FOCUS! I brought the thoughts inwards, stuffing them far away in my mind, trying to prevent the hysteria that threatened.

  Out in front Kassie stumbled and Loi yanked her upright. Kassie’s breaths sounded ragged in her ears while she focused on lifting her feet high enough so that she wouldn’t trip. A sense of fear buzzed between the four of them, the taste of bile strong in the back of her throat. The disgusting creatures hunting them shrieked again, a hideous angry sound like nails being pried from corrugated iron. Her skin prickled and scalp seemed to flinch when they did it again. Audrey spun back snarling and barking, the dog’s voice growing distant. Kassie ran harder. I am NEVER casting a spell again, she thought, why the fuck is this happening to us? It was a love spell for Christ's sake!

  Loi jerked her head out of the way when a low branch loomed, twigs dragging in her hair. Spying a fallen log ahead she let the others know then hauled herself over and spun back to lift Kassie off.

  'Thanks,' gasped Kassie. Loi nodded and Kassie ran on while Loi waited for Sian and Cat. Audrey raced after the women and beat them to the log, diving off, legs extended, then spun back to bark at them. Once Sian and Cat had scrambled over, Loi raced back to Kassie's side.

  The log had slowed us down a little and the crashing that followed sounded closer. Adrenaline seared through my veins when I caught a glimpse of one of those things; it had gained on us. 'RUN!' I screamed. Audrey darted across my path and launched herself at it, snarling. The creature shrieked and jerked away. The sense of relief nearly tripped me, with my focus on Audi. I lurched over a root, just managing to stay upright and she appeared at my side again, no worse for wear.

  Suddenly the forest disappeared and we sprinted across open grassland, buildings visible about a mile from us. I stumbled at the change in ground under foot and the almost debilitating sense of relief at the sight of civilization. A surge of fear ran through me. Do NOT fall, I growled in my mind, we are so close!

  Sian could see the buildings more clearly now. A high, oppressive looking fence of roughly hewn logs surrounded the village; for good reason, she thought. Panting hard as they neared the buildings, she could make out people—men—standing in front of the gates gesturing at them to hurry. She mentally rolled her eyes at them, trying to increase her pace, unable to hear anything over the sound of her breathing and she gritted her teeth, pumping her arms harder. As they drew closer she saw the buildings were houses with heavy looking thatched roofs like ones she’d seen when she’d lived in England. The faces of the men they sprinted toward grew clearer, none of them actually appeared to watch her or the others, just the creatures that followed. Sian realized then that each man held a weapon or two and one man had two snarling, lunging dogs on short leashes, fighting to keep them under control. They wore clothes that wouldn’t have looked out of place maybe three hundred years ago, but even then they didn’t look quite right. Sian’s chest tightened with apprehension as they drew even closer to the village; where ARE we?

  'Push it!' shouted Loi as she threw a glance over her shoulder, looking beyond us. My body screamed in protest when I forced longer quicker strides. Sian bounced lightly off my side with a grunt, the sudden dip in the grass almost making me do the same. I grabbed her hand, pulling her along as we neared the gate. Men armed with cross bows, spears and swords stood next to the heavy wooden gates, bodies tense and ready. Their shouts rang in my ears when they charged past us and the unexpected furious snarls of dogs made me flinch, but I didn’t stop. We shot past them straight into the arms of a crowd of others who rushed us into a nearby building. In the sudden darkness I staggered and bent over my knees, gasping for breath while my head spun. The sens
e of relief was extreme. We’re safe. Safe.

  My knees buckled and strange hands supported me, leading me to a bench. Kassie sat next to me with Loi and Sian beside her, all gasping for breath. Audi crouched under the bench, waiting. Finally we could draw normal breaths and sat up, looking around.

  At least sixty people crowded around the dark low room, jammed on bench seats that surrounded the long tables that filled most of the space. Young and old women held children on their laps, some singing softly, others teasing, provoking sudden high shrieks of laughter that made the armed men at the windows frown at them. Adolescent boys and girls crowded against the scarce wall space, watching us with wide eyes while their elders flicked curious looks our way. Realizing I still gripped my sword tight, I went to slip it back in its scabbard but my hands shook too much. Kassie guided the end in for me.

  'Thanks.' I swallowed hard, willing away the sudden, unexpected tears that threatened. It’s just shock, Cat, breathe, relax. You’re okay. You’re safe. The words echoed in my head while I looked the others over. All red-faced like me with the fear slowly fading from their eyes, accompanied by the realization that a room full of strangers stared at us.

  Kassie gulped. No one seemed to look at them in a bad way, most just looked concerned. A strange sound caught her attention. 'Lucky,' she gasped. Loi swore and snatched the pack off the floor, setting it on the bench between them. Kassie wrenched the top of it wide. They peered in. The tortoiseshell cat huddled at the bottom, ears flattened and fur spiked her eyes wide in fear. She whimpered.

  'Ooooh Lucky,' whispered Kassie, her heart going out to her tiny, normally feisty cat. Easing the cat onto her lap she wrapped her arms around the shivering animal, ignoring all the strangers staring. Loi draped her cloak round Kassie’s shoulders shielding Lucky from everyone’s view. The cat relaxed a little before stretching her forelegs out. Kassie winced when the claws dug into her thigh but didn’t scold Lucky; just cuddled her until she started purring.

  Loi leaned over. 'Kass, is she okay?'

  Kassie nodded while she hummed, soothing the cat. 'She’s starting to purr so I think she’ll be fine.'

  Cat and Sian leaned over, reaching under the cloak to stroke Lucky’s head, which made Audrey creep out from under the seat to see what everyone looked at. The dog gave her friend a gentle poke, causing the cat to purr louder. A voice piped up. 'What are you doing?'

  Turning away from Kassie I saw a little boy watching us. He looked to be about five and stood only a meter or so from a woman with dark plaits the same shade as his short spiky hair. She watched us and him, her eyes creasing when they met mine, the corners of her lips tugging. I bent, leaning on my knees so to meet his eyes and explained, 'Our cat was in one of the bags when we had to run and we’re checking she’s okay.'

  The boy crept closer, his eyes wide and he ducked to peer at Kassie’s lap. She chuckled and shifted a little on the seat, turning to face him. 'Why did you bring your cat?' he asked her earnestly as he reached Lucky’s side and gently stroked her. The cat purred up at him through half shut eyes, adoring all the attention.

  Kassie smiled. 'Well we didn’t intentionally bring Lucky; she just snuck along with us.'

  A few people tittered when they heard Lucky’s name and the little boy smiled broadly at Kassie. 'She really is Lucky! 'Cause if you hadn’t seen her she could have been eaten by the elgrids.'

  Ahh, so that’s what those things are called. I could see the same thought pass through Loi and Sian’s faces. Everyone in the room still stared at us. They’ll want to know why we’re here, what do we say? My brain went blank at that then I looked to Sian and gave her knee a soft nudge. Our eyes connected and I twitched my eyebrow at her, making a tiny gesture with my chin at all those in the room, still watching us.

  Sian stared at Cat whose half scowl—nose wrinkled and lips twisted to one side—yelled loud and clear exactly what she thought Sian should be doing right now. Sian glared at her friend who returned the look with heat. Oh bloody hell, she thought with despair, I don’t know what to say!? Man up, snapped the rational voice in the back of her mind. No, it wasn’t your intention for the spell to work like this but you are partially responsible. With an internal sigh, Sian gave Cat a tiny nod and sat up, gazing around the room for whoever might be in charge. Let’s get this over with, she thought grumpily. Best stick as close to the truth as possible.

  A medium height woman in a high necked, long sleeved rust colored dress that fell to her knees stood up from where she’d sat amongst the others. She held herself with pride, back straight and head high, the elaborately plaited bun she wore her dark hair in adding to the overall commanding impression. Everyone fell silent, giving her their attention and for a moment the room felt as if it hummed with anticipation. The woman nodded to Sian and the other girls. 'Greetings. Welcome to Lothost. My name is Henja. My husband and I own the Inn here.' Henja inclined her head toward one of the armed men at the windows who stared at them now too.

  Sian’s mouth went dry and she licked her lips before speaking. 'Greetings, Henja. Thank you for your welcome and for your town’s protection, it is most appreciated.' The girls nodded in agreement.

  'What brings you here?' queried Henja with a blunt expression that hedged between curiosity and apprehension. The armed men moved from where they’d stood at the windows, positioning themselves at the ends of the tables closest to the four girls. The unspoken warning made Sian’s stomach churn.

  Hesitantly, she spoke. 'We’re—searching—for someone who can help us. With a magical matter.' She watched in relief when her friends’ faces went blank then changed to apparent knowledge.

  'Offensive or defensive?' snapped one of the men, shifting from leaning against a table to standing, eyeing the four of them.

  'Defensive!' Sian squeaked the word out then cleared her throat. Cat leaned gently against her, the pressure comforting. 'Calm,' Cat cautioned, mouth close to her ear. 'You’re doing fine.'

  Sian flicked Cat a swift look and tiny smile before turning her attention back to Henja. The woman now regarded them speculatively, squinting a little as she stared at Sian. 'Oh? Perhaps our town caster can help. What’s the issue?'

  With a silent prayer that she wasn’t about to say something wrong, Sian explained. 'The shield that protects our realm has vanished and we don’t know why. We’d never seen elgrids before now!' The last part came out louder than she’d intended and the silence in the room felt bizarrely loud while everyone gaped at her. Sian resisted the urge to grin nervously.

  One of the armed men addressed her in an incredulous tone, his thick salt-n-pepper eyebrows drawn close in a frown. 'Never seen them before? That must be an awfully strong shield.'

  'Yes, it was. We’ve been told there’s someone with great power in this realm. We’re hoping to find them.' Sian mentally crossed her fingers; please let this work!

  'Oh you’ll be talking about Elena the Sorceress,' chimed a little old lady from the table furthest away.

  Most in the room made sounds of agreements, nodding to one another and Henja said, 'Gran Nina is right. The Sorceress would be the ideal person to see.'

  Sian smiled in relief, inwardly delighted that it had worked. 'Where does Elena usually reside?'

  Henja’s square jaw jutted out as she considered that and her husband, who sat close, spoke softly in her ear. Henja agreed with whatever he said then turned to them, explaining. 'We believe she is at the castle. But there are some strange goings on in the South so she might be away.'

  'She can’t stay away long,' interjected another of the armed men. 'Not while she’s Regent. The castle would be the best place to find her.'

  I listened without really hearing, fascinated with their unusual accents. They had what sounded like a hint of a Scottish burr to the 'r' in words, well developed consonants but with a heaviness to their 'w' so it sounded more like 'wh'. Something about the way they spoke triggered an odd sensation in my mind and a weird sense of anxiety; how are we speaking wit
h them? The sudden thought of not understanding them, or being understood made me nauseated and I pushed it away. I’ll just be thankful, I thought, squeezing my legs back under the bench seat while blocking out those concerning thoughts. I’ll just be thankful.

  Studying the people and what they wore distracted me while Sian asked Henja for the directions to the castle. The variety of styles and lack of corsets surprised me. I couldn’t see any evidence of electricity or modern technology yet what they wore felt rather modern. A couple of women seated nearer us wore mid-length skirts of a dense fabric, belted at the waist. Their long sleeved, slash neck tops laced down the front or sides; one woman had a bright blue ribbon laced down the front of her dark brown top. A quick glimpse down showed fleece lined knee-high boots with long laces wrapped fully around them. It surprised me; I guess our outfits aren’t that unusual then.

  Gran Nina had shifted from her seat and stood near Henja, listening to the conversation while openly studying us. She met my eyes with a bright smile, her face dissolving into a mass of lines. The look of delight almost made me giggle and I smiled back. The older woman wore baggy trousers held up by a wide belt just visible beneath the side splits in her tunic that fell to her hips. Her white hair had the occasional streak of brown and she wore it in a long plait, draped over a shoulder. The little boy who’d been patting Lucky dashed to Gran Nina’s side, pointing at the cat while tugging on her pants. Gran Nina smiled down at him, nodding and the two chatted away.

  'We’d like to stay the night at your Inn if you have room, wouldn’t we, Catherine?'

  I blinked in shock at a sudden shove from Sian. 'Oh! Yes! That’d be great,' I assured Henja. Right, focus on the conversation Cat, I thought, feeling a tad dazed as I tuned back in, listening. Sian had arranged dinner and breakfast as well as a bath. I felt like cheering when I heard that part; a bath! I wonder if I can get my clothes cleaned? Sitting in the crowded room made me rather aware of the unpleasant scent of sweat from our sprint here.