Enveloping Shadows

by Lauren D. M. Smith

  He tapped his leg with a finger. Option two would be the best for now, though he could always switch to one of the others if things changed. If their paths remained close, of course. Zelek had no idea what had brought them both into the Wild Lands but guessed it had to be something important. He couldn’t imagine them risking their lives otherwise. Even when his people had served their lord, they hadn’t put themselves in danger for trivialities.

  Pulling his mind back from its wander, Zelek slipped away from his hiding place. He needed to find somewhere safer to hole up for the night, and as much as he wanted to study the other two further, his own safety came first. Because if he failed, if he were killed, it was his sister who would be sent out next.

  Chapter Eight: Zelek

  Terrwyn woke to the liquid sound of a flute. The notes were soft, inviting, and completely out of place. She sat straight up and looked around. There was no one near her, but movement caught her eye.

  In the water to his knees, Michme was wading out into the lake. “Hey,” she called, trying to keep her voice low in case whatever was playing the music was dangerous. “What are you doing?”

  He didn’t turn, didn’t stop, didn’t even twitch. Terrwyn stood, a hand dropping to the hilt of the sword she hadn’t taken off even to sleep. The music that had woken her continued but the notes had gotten higher. It was almost painful and beginning to give Terrwyn goose bumps.

  She stalked towards where Michme was still slowly walking deeper, her gaze darting this way and that. The moon was only a half, hanging low over the western horizon, offering her little help in seeing what lay in the shadows. It reflected off the water enough to be useful there, but not for the shore.

  Terrwyn was forced to step carefully to avoid tripping on any rocks and whatever else might be hiding in the grass. At the edge of the lake she stopped, staring out at where her companion was hip-deep in the water. “Michme,” she hissed. “What are you doing in there?”

  He gave no sign he’d heard her, making her growl. There was no choice then, she’d have to drag him out. Terrwyn had barely lifted her foot to follow Michme into the water when arms wrapped around her and spun her to face away from the water.

  She fought against the grip, which released her almost instantly. She stumbled forward a step before whirling to face her captor, hand on her hilt. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the moon behind him so his face was in darkness. “Stay out of the water,” he said.

  “Who are you and what do you mean by that?” she snapped, grip tightening on her sword. Terrwyn hadn’t heard him come up behind her, hadn’t seen any sign of him. He’d come out of nowhere. Sweat began beading up along her forehead.

  The figure nodded at where Michme was now up to his shoulders. “He was dead the instant he entered the water. If you go in, you’ll be eaten too.”

  She shook her head. “I’m going to save him!”

  “You can’t. The monster grabbed him as soon as he touched the water, after it lured him in with its music and illusions.”

  Terrwyn gritted her teeth. She didn’t have time to argue, she needed to save Michme. She turned back towards the lake but found it empty. There wasn’t even a ripple where she’d last seen the other knight. The eerie music had stopped, leaving her alone with the sound of the wind, crickets, and the stranger in front of her.

  “Where’d he go? Can’t we kill the monster and save him?”

  “Like I said, he was dead when you saw him, he just hadn’t been killed yet. There’s nothing you can do to change that. I’m sorry.”

  Terrwyn opened her mouth to argue again, but couldn’t find the words. Michme hadn’t even reacted to her calls, had disappeared suddenly. She swallowed hard as the realization she was alone wrapped itself around her. She was the only one left to rescue Aricia.

  The memory of what had happened to the princess had her grabbing her sword again, attention back on the stranger. “You haven’t told me who you are. Why are you here? How did you know about the monster? Why did you stop me?”

  He sighed. “I came by because I wondered who’d be foolish enough to camp beside this place. I know about the monster because I’m familiar enough with the Wild Lands to know where the worst dangers are. As for who I am, I suppose we didn’t ever get to exchanging names.” He offered her a little bow. “My name is Zelek, but please call me Zel. And I stopped you because it would be such a waste for a wonderful dancer to end up as monster food.”

  Frowning, Terrwyn shifted around Zel, while keeping her distance. With the moonlight no longer behind him, she could finally see his face. Floppy black hair and the bright smile she’d seen before combined with the dance comment told her who she was dealing with. “It’s you!”

  “I suppose it is me,” he replied, eyes crinkling up. “And while I think this look suits you as well, I have to ask what you’re doing all the way out here in the Wild Lands? You’re quite a ways from home.”

  The hand she had wrapped around her hilt clenched into a fist. “I’m getting back what was taken.”

  He frowned. “The Wild Lands are dangerous, especially for the unwary. Whatever it was that was stolen, I’m sure you can replace it.”

  Terrwyn glared. “Aricia can’t be replaced! And if I can’t take care of that bastard who hid in the darkness, I won’t be able to guarantee her safety even if I can save her.”

  Zel went completely still. Then he was rushing forward, too fast for her to react. He grabbed her wrists in a hold just short of painful, eyes boring into hers. “You’re sure this man was hiding in the darkness, that he concealed himself with it?”

  She twisted, breaking his hold on her and backing up out of his reach. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Because if it’s true, if this man was able to disappear into the darkness, then he’s the man I’ve been looking for,” he hissed.

  His voice didn’t leave Terrwyn any doubts about the truth of his anger. “I was there. I saw him appear out of the darkness and then cover himself and Aricia in it to disappear. The king’s magician says he used a transport spell to come here. So we—” She broke off as she remembered Michme was gone, that she was by herself. She fought down the fear and panic gnawing at her. “I’m here to save her, whatever it takes.”

  “He won’t be alone,” Zel said, meeting her stare steadily. “He hires himself out, and I know he’s not capable of the kind of magic required to create a transport spell. It’ll be difficult for you to do this by yourself. I can help you. We have similar goals.”

  Terrwyn hesitated. She was alone in the middle of the Wild Lands with no one to help, no one to guard her back. But at the same time, she didn’t know Zel. He was the man she’d danced with once who’d disappeared, and while he seemed informed about the Wild Lands and the man she was after, she didn’t know how he’d come by that knowledge. She shook her head. “I can’t trust someone I just met.”

  He frowned then shrugged. “Fair enough. You need to be careful. There are dangers everywhere here and you can’t trust appearances, especially if something looks harmless.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m a trained knight. I’ll be fine.”

  Zel eyed her, nodding towards the lake. “He was a trained knight as well. Stay out of the water at night. It’s safe during the day, but not as long as the sun’s down.”

  She glanced towards the peaceful-looking water then back at him, but Zel was gone. She turned all around but couldn’t see any sign of him, like he’d never been there in the first place. She swallowed. It was going to be a long wait until the sun rose.

  Chapter Nine: Deceptions

  By the time the sun had turned the horizon gold, orange and pink, Terrwyn was on edge. Having hours to think about what had happened, to obsess over what she could have done differently, how she could have saved Michme, had her stomach clenc
hed into a sour ball of guilt, worry, fear and anger. It seemed she was always too late to save people. She was there and watched what happened without being able to prevent it.

  With the sun up, Terrwyn scrubbed at cheeks that weren’t entirely dry and stood. She’d long since packed everything she could in the dark and then the half-light of predawn. With the way her stomach felt, there was no point in even thinking about breakfast.

  She got the horses ready, feeling fresh stabs of guilt as she put Michme’s packs on his horse. Terrwyn wasn’t about to leave the poor animal in the middle of somewhere like the Wild Lands and having an extra mount might be useful. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

  With some spare rope, she was able to tie the other two horses to her mare’s saddle in a string, so at least she didn’t have to worry about them wandering off. Only then did she take a last look around what had been their camp, looking for anything she’d forgotten. She wished she could leave some kind of monument or sign for Michme, but Zel’s warning was still ringing in her ears. She couldn’t risk the attention it might draw.

  Terrwyn set out amidst the early-morning birdsong, even the bright blue of the sky not enough to lift her spirits. Michme was dead and Jeriel had fled. It was only her now. She was beginning to feel like this whole mission had been cursed, doomed from the start to failure. That everything she did would make it worse. She hadn’t been able to protect Aricia, hadn’t been able to save Michme, and now she had to finish this alone.

  Maybe she should have accepted Zel’s offer, should have gotten him to help her. He knew more than she did. But that worried her too. How did he know about the man from the darkness and how he operated? He said he was looking for him, and the way he spoke left her with the impression he wouldn’t leave the other man alive when he found him. But why?

  The way he seemed to appear and disappear silently worried her as well. What if he worked with the man who’d taken Aricia? Certainly she’d seen that man’s face and replayed the scene in her mind enough times to know Zelek hadn’t been the kidnapper, but she didn’t know who he really was.

  There were too many unknowns with Zel. As much as she desperately wanted the company, she wouldn’t endanger the mission any more than it already was by trusting a complete stranger. Saving Aricia was what was important, not Terrwyn’s feelings. She’d continue by herself.

  That had her shaking her head. Thinking negatively wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She needed to concentrate on what she was doing, not on what she hadn’t been able to. She’d been prepared to go alone from the start, and what had happened shouldn’t change that.

  Terrwyn checked her bearings with the sun, ensuring she was heading north as she rounded one of the large hills that were becoming more frequent. She was again reminded of her home. The lower range was green during this time of year, with only the distant upper ones that closed off the southeastern area of the continent keeping their crowns of snow year-round.

  They loomed overhead, a comforting presence no matter where you went in the province. Terrwyn found herself missing them and her home for the first time in years. She wanted to see her parents, her brother, her sister, her niece and nephew. She wanted something familiar.

  She swallowed the lump growing in her throat. After. She’d go and see her family after she got Aricia back. She wouldn’t let herself even consider that she was likely to die out here as well, with no one to know what had happened.

  Her hands clenched the reins in a white-knuckled grip until she forced herself to relax. At times like this she should run through her sword-drills in her head, do vision practice. She wouldn’t be able to do a proper workout until she stopped, and she couldn’t afford to let her edge slip. Not if she wanted to be successful.

  By midmorning, Terrwyn had grown bored of sword-drills and tactics and was instead running through the history of the country. She told herself it was to see if she could remember anything else about the Wild Lands, but it was really to distract herself.

  She had made it all the way to King Vasyl, his reign best known for allowing women to become knights due to the devastation caused by a demon, when a shout drew her attention. She reined up, a hand hovering near the hilt of her sword before she saw the figure ahead waving her down. Terrwyn urged her mare into a walk as she studied the stranger carefully.

  Curly grey hair barely visible under her kerchief, the woman’s face was a nest of wrinkles made worse by the frown that pulled her lips down. She glanced around, but saw no one else. “Please,” the woman said, voice harsh and broken with age. “Please help me.”

  Terrwyn dismounted, holding her mare’s reins in one hand, body tensed in case the woman attacked, her free hand kept near her sword. “What’s the problem?”

  “It’s terrible,” the stranger said, wringing her hands as she moved closer. “Bandits have attacked my home. I just got out, but what will happen if my son comes home if they’re still there? He’s all I have. Please, you must help us.”

  Terrwyn winced. She could imagine the woman’s son wouldn’t last long, not unless he was well trained. Her oaths to serve others and protect people weaker than herself told her what she had to do. “How many of them are there?”

  “Oh, thank you.” The woman laid a hand on her arm. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t passed by.” That brought a frown to Terrwyn’s face, wondering what exactly a woman her age was doing this far inside the Wild Lands.

  A shout broke through their conversation and had them both turning to look.

  Appearing out of nowhere as Terrwyn was beginning to assume was his habit, Zel strode towards them. He yanked Terrwyn’s arm out of the old woman’s grip. Protests bubbled to her lips, but one look from him quelled them. He turned his darkly intense gaze on the old woman. “Nice try.”

  She looked up at them both, eyes going wide. “I don’t know what—”

  He cut her off. “You’d best look elsewhere for a meal. If you don’t...” His free hand suddenly held a knife. “I’ll take your head.”

  Terrwyn was about to pull herself out of Zel’s hold and tell him off for his behaviour, but the hiss that emerged from the old woman’s throat distracted her. Even as she watched, the woman bared her entirely too sharp teeth at them both before she turned and loped off at a speed Terrwyn wasn’t sure her horses could match. She stared.

  Zel dropped her arm. “Didn’t you hear my warning about things not being what they seemed?”

  Her mouth worked for a moment as she pointed in the direction the woman had disappeared. Or rather, the thing that had looked like a woman. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know what your people call it, but we call them snake-women. They can unhinge their jaws and consume people or horses whole. They generally take weak-seeming forms, as you saw, and lure the unsuspecting to where they can attack them. These lands are full of dangers, you need to be careful and not trust appearances.”

  Her cheeks flared red. Zel was right. He’d warned her and she’d walked straight into danger. “It’s... I’m a knight. I’ve sworn oaths to help those in need and she seemed sincere so...”

  He looked at her then rubbed the back of his head. “I appreciate that you live your life according to your oaths, that you behave with honour. I’ll tell you right now though, out here, there’s not much that doesn’t want to kill you. Some small animals and birds maybe, but if it looks human, it’s almost certainly dangerous. You’re going to need to be far more careful if you want to survive.”

  Terrwyn looked down at her boots, feeling like a child being scolded. The worst part was she couldn’t really argue with him. A sudden thought had her frown and look up at him. “How did you find me? Were you following me? And how do you keep appearing out of thin air like that?”

  He gave her a sidelong glance then he smiled and winked. “That’s a secret.”

  She grimaced
and crossed her arms over her chest. “If you’re following me...”

  Zel raised his eyebrows. “We’re going to the same place, and if your descriptions are right, we’re after the same person. Why would you automatically assume I’m following you?”

  Terrwyn’s cheeks pinked again. “My apologies, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

  He nodded. “Apology accepted. Especially because I was following you.”

  “You!”

  Zel grinned then sobered a moment later. “You seem to be heading somewhere in particular, not just wandering around looking for some sign of your princess. That makes me think you know where she, and the man you claim came out of the darkness, are. Am I wrong?”

  “You’re not. So you’ve been following me to figure out where I’m going?”

  “That and you seem like the type to get eaten by something. And I wasn’t wrong. It’s rare enough to meet someone who takes honour seriously that I was inclined to help you, even if I didn’t want to find out what you know. My offer to help still stands, in case you were wondering.”

  Terrwyn glanced at him, still not sure she could trust him. Then again, he had saved her not once, but twice. He seemed to know the Wild Lands and if he was after the same man she was...

  “Why are you after the man from the darkness?”

  Zel’s lips thinned. “If what you’ve said is true, he’s the man I’ve been hunting for four years. He betrayed our people, killed some of us,” he said, his voice practically a hiss on the word kill. “I was the given the task of finding him and killing him. I trust you don’t have a problem with that?”

  Since she’d had a similar plan, Terrwyn shook her head. “Four years?”

  “He moves around. He knows someone would have been sent after him, so he sells his services when not chasing his own goals. It’s made tracking him...difficult. I had heard rumours of him in your country and thought he’d targeted the palace. It seems I wasn’t wrong about that.”