He nodded. “We shouldn’t relax yet. The Wild Lands didn’t get their name by chance.”
“I...” She trailed off as her nostrils flared at the faint scent of smoke brought to her by a stray breeze. “Do you smell that?”
Michme frowned and raised his head, sniffing the air. His lips pulled farther down as he turned towards where two of the larger hills closed in on one another, a narrow gap showing a path between them. “Smells like something burning. We should check it out. The last thing we want to do is have enemies at our back.”
Terrwyn followed close behind Michme, keeping alert for any sound or movement that could indicate an ambush. As they approached where the hills closed in around them, the smell got stronger, the scent burning into their nostrils. The farther in they got, the more Terrwyn’s neck prickled, feeling like at any second the hills around them were going to erupt with monsters or arrows. Every childhood bogeyman story she’d been told rose to the forefront of her mind.
At the midpoint between the hills, Michme held up his hand. They both reined up, ears straining for any hint of what was up ahead. All Terrwyn could hear was the cawing of crows amidst the lighter sounds of sparrows. After a minute, Michme nodded, and they set their mounts to a slow walk, heads swivelling as they crept towards where the hills opened up.
Out of the shadows and back in the sun, they both stopped, eyes widening at what lay in front of them. Crows flew up, sounding their harsh alarm and revealing the scene. Sticking up on rough wooden spikes, their empty sockets facing them, were two heads. Lips mostly gone, teeth set in freakish grins, the bloated skin was pocked and smeared with black and red.
Closer, the smell of rotting flesh was no longer overpowered by the scent of smoke. Terrwyn swallowed hard, feeling her lunch trying to force itself back out again. She’d seen death but this was the first time she’d seen heads impaled on stakes. She tore her attention away from the horrific sight to look around. A few metres away were two stripped and bloated corpses missing heads. Even farther back she could see two whole bodies, equally stripped and decomposing.
She swallowed again. She wouldn’t throw up, wouldn’t give in to her weakness. With the age of the corpses, she didn’t expect to see any blood, but still thought that this is where the men had died. The ground was torn up in places, with long gouges in the earth showing brown against the grass that spoke to her of some kind of violence.
Just behind the heads and to their left was the smoking remains of a large fire. Beside and in it were black and cracked bones, the broken bits showing white against the burnt outsides. They were too large to be human bones which relieved Terrwyn faintly. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to keep her stomach under control if the men had been killed by cannibals. Her stomach heaved again in protest.
Terrwyn took a steadying breath and turned to Michme, doing her best to keep her voice even. “I think it would be a good idea if we moved on from this area. I don’t want to be trying to camp if... Well, I hope whoever did this isn’t nearby.”
He nodded, face pale, and followed her back the way they’d come. Once the hills lay between them and the bodies, they both relaxed marginally, though Terrwyn’s shoulders were tense. There was no guarantee those men’s killers weren’t in the area and what they’d make of her and Michme.
It would have been one thing to find the bodies, it was another to realize the attackers had stuck around until recently doing who knew what. She thought the bones might have belonged to horses, and that maybe they had only stayed to eat the mounts of their victims, but she couldn’t be sure. She couldn’t really be sure of anything.
She repressed a shiver. These were the Wild Lands and she needed to stay strong, to do her best to survive this place if she wanted to save Aricia. “We’ll need to set watches tonight. I don’t want to be caught unawares by anything, not if whatever did that,” she said, gesturing behind them, “is still around.”
“I agree,” Michme said, voice hoarse. “I—I don’t understand the impalement. Why do it way out here?”
Terrwyn blew out slowly, doing her best to calm the spike in her heart rate. There was no point in borrowing trouble or scaring herself with what-ifs. “They could have been enemies, this could be the territory of whoever did it, or they have some kind of belief about binding the spirit with the head. I’ve read about different beliefs with regards to ghosts, hauntings and spirits, and they can be really strange.”
Thinking about books she’d read brought her back to her mission and what was at stake, helping ground her. Pushing away what she had seen and focusing instead on the academic views on differing beliefs about spirits was much easier than processing the reality of what they’d seen. “I know there’s more than one culture that feels spirits can lock on to a person, bloodline or place.”
Michme let out the breath he’d been holding. “I imagine. There are as many strange beliefs out there as there are people.”
By unspoken agreement, both of them kept the rest of their conversation light as they concentrated on putting as much distance between them and the corpses as they could.
Chapter Seven: Sleepless
Terrwyn rubbed at her face and fought down a yawn. Across the remains of the small fire they had cooked breakfast on, the dark smudges under Michme’s eyes were a match for hers. She imagined his came from the same place hers did.
Even when it hadn’t been her watch, she’d found it difficult to sleep. During her watch... She didn’t know what out there had screamed like some kind of horrifying cross between a goat and a dying rabbit, or what had been distantly howling off and on all night, but none of it had been conducive to sleep. And that without the memories of the dead men they’d found the day prior.
She sighed and found herself rubbing her face again. Forcing herself to stop, Terrwyn offered Michme a half smile. “I suggest we find somewhere more defensible to camp tomorrow, so it’s easier for both of us to sleep.”
He nodded, shoulders slumped. “That sounds like a good plan. I... We can’t be too careful with whatever is out there.”
Terrwyn stood and gently kicked at the half-burnt remains of their fire, breaking chunks apart to ensure all the embers were gone. Rescuing Aricia would be difficult enough without starting a wildfire. Satisfied that it was out, she turned towards her mare and her packs. Behind her, Michme stood as well and headed to his horse.
It was a matter of minutes for them to get all three horses loaded. Mounted again, Terrwyn followed Michme, the packhorse trailing behind her, its lead rein attached to her saddle. The bright sunshine of the day made it hard to think that only hours earlier this area had been filled with such horrific sounds.
Down out of the little valley between two hills they’d found, the open ground was broken up by the low hills and rocks that seemed to populate most of the Wild Lands. It still unnerved Terrwyn that they hadn’t seen any sign of people, except the bodies. All the stories she’d ever heard painted the Wild Lands as a haven for bandits and criminals from every country on the continent.
Though maybe they had as much to fear from announcing their presence as she and Michme did. Her thoughts meandered as they rode on, the sun rising higher and higher as they covered more and more ground. By midmorning they’d reached a larger patch of trees, one that provided some shade against the growing heat of the day. It also lay right in front of their path northward.
They stopped, exchanging a glance. Terrwyn shrugged, leaving the decision to Michme. He was older and more experienced. He studied the trees before clucking to his horse and leading the way in.
Terrwyn wasn’t at all loath to follow, not when she could feel the sweat gathering on her back. Still, she’d rather sweat while getting the protection of her leather coat and hybrid armour than be cool and need it later. That’s how you ended up dead.
She was grateful for her decision when they clear
ed the first couple of trees and their horses suddenly bolted. Terrwyn tightened her hands on the reins, about to force her mare to stop, when she heard the snarl and felt the claws rip into her arm. The blow only grazed her, but was powerful enough that her left arm was forced down as their horses thundered past.
Her heart pounding as the adrenaline kicked in, she glanced back, her eyes widening at the sight of what had gotten her. Mottled brown and green, it was the largest cat she’d ever seen, and the only one that had fangs curving down to its chin. Short and powerfully built, she knew if it had dropped straight on top of her she wouldn’t still be breathing.
“Out of the trees,” she called, brain racing nearly as hard as her pulse. She turned her mare towards the edge of the woods, patting her neck as reassuringly as she could.
They let their mounts have their head until they’d run off some of their panic and were not just out of the trees, but well past them. Only then did they slow to a walk. “What was that?” Michme asked.
“Something I don’t want to meet again.” Terrwyn gingerly touched the scratches. They’d stopped bleeding and weren’t deep, but she needed to disinfect them. She wasn’t about to risk sickness.
He shook his head. “I’ve never even heard of anything like that. I think we’d do well to stay out from under any trees. From the way it dropped down, I’m guessing that’s the way it likes to hunt.”
Terrwyn repressed a shiver. She’d be having nightmares about things dropping down on her and tearing her throat out now. “We should avoid anywhere we might be ambushed or attacked. That thing could be the least of our worries.”
As she spoke, she could feel her mouth dry under the words. It was hard not to be negative and think of the worst-case scenario after being attacked by a strange creature. She swallowed and glanced at Michme.
He was looking over his shoulder at the trees then he turned back to her, meeting her gaze steadily, though he was a bit paler than usual. “We should act as if we’re in enemy territory,” he said after a few moments of silence. “Take every precaution. That ought to minimize the risks.”
Terrwyn nodded. “And as much as I hate to say this, I’d prefer to stop early tonight, as soon as we find somewhere defensible and away from the trees. I’m going to need to treat this since we don’t know what was on that thing’s claws.”
Michme stared at her arm and winced. “We’ll stop as soon as we can, preferably somewhere with water so you can clean yourself up properly.”
“That sounds good,” she replied, already anticipating being able to get really clean. It had been a lot longer since her last bath than she wanted, and if they were able to find something suitable, she’d definitely indulge. Especially since they had no idea what lay ahead of them.
* * *
The sunlight had gone the dark gold of late afternoon by the time they found the kind of place they were looking for. A small lake was flanked on either side by large hills with a stream snaking back and forth between them before heading farther into the Wild Lands. The grassy shore that lay between the first curve of the river and the lake itself was where they had chosen. Surrounded by water on all sides, it would be hard for someone or something to sneak up on them without them hearing it.
Once the horses were settled and they had their rough camp set up, Terrwyn excused herself to the part of the lake screened by some bushes. Michme waved her off, turning his attention to their dinner. They’d been lucky to catch a few fish to supplement what they had, and Terrwyn had to admit she was looking forward to something fresh.
Clean and with her arm lightly bandaged, Terrwyn was in a much better mood as she sat across the fire from Michme. “We were lucky to find this place.”
He nodded, carefully turning the sticks he had the fish roasting on. “We’ll need to leave off with the fire for the night though. With the open water here, anyone or anything will spot it from a distance.”
“It reminds me a bit of the foothills of home, near the eastern mountains. Though we have far more trees.”
Michme frowned. “You’re from Frostpeak, correct?”
Terrwyn nodded. “Not that I’ve been home recently. I’ve been too busy with my job and...” She swallowed and forced herself to finish. “And protecting Aricia.”
He said nothing for a moment then he leaned back against one of the boulders that were scattered around. “I’m from Deepwood. My wife and son are both still at home and probably have just gotten my letter. It was only supposed to be two weeks at court but...” He shrugged.
“Why did you volunteer? You said yourself you have a son and wife waiting at home.”
Michme looked at her sharply. When she held his eyes, he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s my duty. I’m a knight, our job is to protect others. How could I face my wife and son knowing I’d turned my back on someone? I want to be an example to my son, to live a life he can be proud of.”
“I’m sure he will be. Proud that is,” Terrwyn said, smiling slightly. “As far as I’m concerned you’re the only knight with honour at court.”
He snorted. “You’re young, still on the cusp of believing yourself immortal and knowing better. You’re steady, smart and strong, so I’m glad you’re here, but you can’t blame others for thinking of their own lives and loved ones. Having a family changes your responsibilities and you’re no longer the first priority, your children are. I’m sure more than a few were thinking about what would happen to their wives and children if they were to die.”
“And the others forgot their oaths,” Terrwyn retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know there were people there without families who shouldn’t have had those considerations. Regardless, our duty was clear. The others chose to abandon Aricia.”
Michme shook his head. “Life isn’t all black and white.”
“No, but our duty is.”
He sighed. “I won’t argue with you. There certainly were men who should have volunteered who didn’t, but what’s done is done, and nothing we say can change that. We may find a second force behind us, as more knights are called in or change their minds. Besides, magic frightens a lot of people.”
Terrwyn’s lips thinned but she didn’t say anything else, just watched the fire for a time. The sun went from gold to orange as the sky erupted into a fiery display, a sight that distracted both of them for a few moments. Then Michme began finishing dinner and Terrwyn checked on the horses.
Walking back amidst the lengthening shadows, Terrwyn frowned as she stopped by one of the smaller rocks. The shadow it cast seemed darker than the others. Hand dropping to her sword hilt, she moved towards it, eyes narrowed. Sudden movement drew her attention away, but it was only one of the horses tossing its head.
Focus locked back on the pool of shadows, she toed the edge of it with her boot. Feeling nothing, she swiftly kicked her whole foot in, sweeping it back and forth. Encountering no resistance, she sighed and released the grip she had on her sword. She hoped Michme hadn’t seen what she’d done. Though she’d be honest about why she distrusted shadows now. Memories of the man rising out of the darkness had her gritting her teeth. She’d be damned if she let something like that happen a second time.
Rejoining Michme, she accepted the fish and a handful of cattail roots he’d roasted. They ate quickly and in silence. Once they were finished, Terrwyn took what remained and tossed it far from camp while Michme put out the fire. Dusk was settling down around them, the sun already below the horizon.
The silence was getting to be too much for Terrwyn, though she knew Michme wasn’t much of a talker. “Do you want me to take first watch or would you like it?”
“I feel awake right now, so I might as well take the first shift.”
“Thanks.”
He offered her half a smile. “You were the one who was attacked, so you probably need sleep more anyway.”
/> Terrwyn answered with a rueful smile. “I’m not about to argue with that, not when my arm’s still a little sore. You’re a good man.”
Michme waved off the compliment and turned to look out at the lake. With that settled, Terrwyn had herself tucked into her bedroll in moments and was asleep almost instantly, her body more tired than even she’d felt.
* * *
Zelek watched the woman walking away through narrowed eyes. He recognized the face from the palace, her movements just as sure here as they had been there. She could be very dangerous if he wasn’t careful. She wasn’t alone either. The man seemed stolid and strong enough to be another potential threat. But the man didn’t have the same deadly grace the woman did.
He watched the woman and her companion eat for a moment then surveyed the landscape in front of him. Low, grassy hills moved in waves away from the small lake edged on either side with much larger hills, the setting sun dyeing everything red. He grimaced and hoped that wasn’t an omen. Not when he was this close.
One hand clenched into a fist and when he noticed, he forced himself to relax. Getting worked up wouldn’t get him anywhere. He might be close, but he’d been close before, and each time had ultimately failed. He had one job and he would see it complete or die in the attempt.
Glancing around, Zelek noted the lack of paths here, he couldn’t see the faint trails he’d expect from animals. The rumours and whispers his allies had brought him hadn’t been wrong then. These Wild Lands were dangerous, even for him.
Zelek rubbed a thumb along the hilt of one of his knives and considered his options. His attention was back on the two warriors by the fire. He could move on, find somewhere more defensible for the night. He could stay nearby, trusting that his ability to hide himself would keep him safe, and with the other two more obvious, he would likely be left alone. He could also try getting close to the man and the woman, try to gain their trust and use them.
His training told him to pick the second option, that it was the safest for him. His people had a long tradition of using others as screens and distractions. Zelek eyed their little camp again, watching the man putting the fire out. The way they had it set up told him they were either very confident or very stupid. Or both.
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