by Garry Spoor
Both Boraro and Jasa had visited Midrest on many occasions and recommended a quaint little inn with the pleasant-sounding name of The Bloody Jackal. The only thing that made it appealing was that it was the only inn for miles.
The Bloody Jackal was a horrible, misshapen building that looked as if it had crawled out of the Blackmoore swamps, waiting to feast on anyone foolish enough to enter it. The dark, foreboding, two-story, wooden structure leaned dangerously to one side. The windows were so filthy, they might as well have been boarded up for all the light they refused to let in.
The interior wasn’t much better. It was dark and damp. The fire in the hearth did little to warm the atmosphere. The sitting room was almost empty and what patrons there were, were not all that sociable. Dark figures engaging in secret conversations, they kept to themselves, hidden in the shadows and the dark corners of the inn. What business went on within The Bloody Jackal was a business best left there. A large, heavyset, grim-looking man watched them when they entered. He acknowledged their presence with a slight nod but made no attempt to welcome them. He wore an old apron that was so covered in stains, it was difficult to tell its original color.
Heaney casually removed his riding gloves and stepped forward. “Are ya the proprietor of this establishment?”
The man looked at him curiously. “I own the place if that’s what you mean.” His voice was low and raspy. “What is it you’re looking for?”
“Food and drink and possibly room for the night, if ya have any.”
“Is that so?” The man grinned. He suddenly took an interest them. When he stood, he towered over Heaney by nearly a foot and a half. Kile was suddenly reminded of Taugh, the Ogre she met in the wastelands, and wondered if this man shared some of the same ancestral blood. “There’s food and drink if you have the coin,” he added.
“I assure ya, we can pay.”
The man cast a wary eye on the group. “Very well,” he said when his eyes fell on Kile. “And ah, you said you’d be wanting rooms.”
“Aye, that’s right,” Heaney said. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“We don’t have too many. What are your… sleeping arrangements?”
“And that’s it,” Kile said, throwing her hands up and walking toward the door.
Daniel grabbed her by the arm before she could leave. “Wait, Ki, where are you going?”
“You must be mad if you think I’d even entertain the thought of spending one night in this place. I’ll be in the barn if you need me.”
“I wouldn’t be going out there, miss, if I were you,” the big man said with an unsettling grin plastered on his face. “It can be rather dangerous after dark for a young thing like yourself. We’ve had reports of cougars in the area. They come out of the swamps at night, you see. You’d best be staying in here, where it’s safer. You know, where we can… protect you.”
Kile laughed. “The only dangerous thing out there tonight will be me. So you and your friends should stay inside and protect yourselves.”
“Hunter Veller, I’m thinking we should stick together,” Heaney quickly added.
“Let her go,” Boraro said, turning his back to her. “She’s more animal than human these days.”
The feral side of Kile wanted nothing more than to pick up the first thing within arm’s reach and beat the man senseless with it. Unfortunately, the first thing within arm’s reach was Daniel as he blocked her exit. Somehow, the act of picking her friend up and swinging him at her old weapon’s master wouldn’t have solved anything, but the thought of it did subdue her feral desires.
“Don’t worry, Master Heaney.” She turned away from Boraro. “I won’t go far. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll come with you,” Daniel offered.
“I don’t think so. You’d be safer in here,” she told him before heading out into the night.
When the doors of The Bloody Jackal closed behind her, she was more at ease. It was a relief to get away from the company, if only for the night. When did dealing with the vir become so hard?
Entering the barn, Kile was greeted by the horses, which was funny, since their riders seemed to go out of their way to ignore her. She made her way to the back, where she knew she’d find Grim.
-Leaving so soon, are we?- he asked, although he didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
“Not yet,” she answered. “I thought it would be safer, sleeping in here.”
-Suit yourself, but if I were you, I’d try the loft, since it doesn’t look as if anyone spends anytime cleaning this place.-
The mountain pony was right, the place looked as if it could do with a good mucking out. There was also the strong smell of horse in the air, but she found it more tolerable than the smell of the vir.
What Grim called the loft was nothing more than a narrow platform, fifteen feet above the stable floor. It ran from the front of the building to the back, supported by the trusses. There was no visible means of getting up there, which meant it would be the last place unwanted visitors would look for her. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she let a bit of her feral side slip through. This was always the most exhilarating part of her Edge, but she had to be careful to keep it under control. Give in to it, and she might not want to come back.
Grabbing a support post, she shimmied her way up and jumped onto one of the ceiling joists. From there, she easily made her way to the central platform. The movements were becoming second nature and she didn’t even question if she could do it anymore.
The loft was easily twice the width of Grim. Since she often slept on the mountain pony’s back while traveling, she should have no problem sleeping here for the night, assuming she didn’t roll around too much. Gathering some loose straw, she made a simple bed for herself and Vesper.
Lying down, Kile stared up at the stars, which she could see through the hole in the barn’s roof.
“What am I doing here?” she asked Grim, who was right below her.
-I thought you wanted to get some sleep.-
“No, I mean, what am I still doing here, running around with Hunters? They’re not even the same Hunters I joined up with, not if Master Latherby is no longer in charge.”
-Where else would you be?-
“That’s it. I could go anywhere. I could go back to Riverport, not that my sister-in-law would be too happy about that. Or maybe even Baxter’s Bay, although I don’t find the place all that grand to start with. There is Coopervill, even though it’s right on the front line these days.”
-Where do you really want to go?- Grim asked.
Kile didn’t even have to think about it. It had been on her mind for the last few months. She thought about it every night while lying awake in the Tower. There was only one place she ever wanted to go, one place that called out to her. The unexplored lands on the far side of the desert. However, wanting to go there and actually going there were two entirely different things. Nobody ever crossed the wastelands and returned to talk about it, so there was no way to know what was out there. The journey wouldn’t be easy, even at the best of times, and with the war on, movement through the wastelands would be nearly impossible. Although, in some way, this expedition might be the solution. Get to the island of Shenataesi, find this so-called Heart of Nilak, and help the Alva reclaim the wastelands. It seemed so easy when she thought of it that way, which meant it would be anything but easy. It all came down to this one last job.
“I’m simply not comfortable with this mission.”
-You’re on a suicide mission with a bunch of idiots. What’s not to be comfortable with?-
“It’s not that. Well, not entirely. I mean, they’re not all idiots. They’re actually quite skilled in what they do. Even Daniel is more suited for this mission than I am, and he’s not even a field Hunter.”
-Well, at least you have your little vir friend to keep you company.-
“Who? Daniel? I don’t think so. He’s changed—he’s not the same guy I knew back at the Academy
.”
-Maybe it’s you who’s changed. Maybe you’re not the same person you were back at the Academy.-
“Well, yeah, I’ve changed—we’ve both changed. What I mean is, he seems so distant, and… I don’t know, there’s something different. Did you see him back at the Black Hoof Livery? No, of course you didn’t. You were too busy tearing the place up.”
-Hey, I said I was sorry.-
“No, no actually you didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. He paid for the damages. For someone who used to complain about his Level Five pay grade, that was quite a bit of coin to put down on repairs without even getting an estimate. And he lied to me. He lied about how he found out about my summons. He knew about it long before I did, but he lied to me.”
-Maybe he’s jealous.-
“Jealous? Jealous of what? He received a summons as well.”
-I mean, jealous of you and the king. You know, that little tryst you got going.-
Kile leaned over the edge of the platform. “There is nothing going on between me and Roland!”
Grim laughed. -Then explain that little kiss he gave you.-
“How did you…? There was no kiss. What are you talking about?”
-Oh please, the furball already filled me in.-
Kile looked down at Vesper, who was nibbling on some hardtack he’d found in her pack.
“You told me you could only communicate with Vesper when I was around.”
-I lied.-
“You what? Wait. What do you mean?”
-Sorry, I just fell asleep and I can’t hear you anymore.-
“This is not over, Grim. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
-Yeah, yeah, whatever.-
Kile closed her eyes and fell into her Edge. She stretched her consciousness out into wild until she found what she was looking for. It wasn’t long before she persuaded them to come for a visit.
~~~***~~~
-Good morning.-
The voice was a soft growl, almost akin to a purr, and it filled Kile’s head with the coming of a new day.
-Sorry to awaken you.-
When Kile opened her eyes, she was staring into the face of a cat, a very large cat. The largest she had ever seen. It was tawny brown, with white fur around its massive jaws and bright blue eyes. The sudden realization she was face-to-face with a cougar chased away any thoughts of slumber. She quickly sat up and backed away from the animal until she touched the edge of the platform.
-Apologies,- the cat said as she sat back on her haunches. She had to be nearly three feet from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. -I did not mean to wake you so.-
“No, I’m sorry. That was rude of me,” Kile said, after calming herself down.
The cat didn’t take offense and instead seemed amused. -I am Sadi.-
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is…”
-Kile,- the cat answered for her.
“Have we met?” she asked, although it was a rather stupid question. One does not easily forget meeting a cougar.
Sadi laughed. -No, but I have heard of you. Your name is known.-
“My name?”
-Yes, you are the Wild Hunter.-
That was the last straw. If she survived this expedition, she was going to return to Baxter’s Bay and throttle Alex for making up that ridiculous title.
-I came when I heard your call.-
-Is that her?-
It was a deeper, growling yet excited voice, and it came from somewhere on the ground floor of the barn. Kile looked over the edge of the platform to see another cougar sitting beside the outer wall. The horses were not happy.
-We came when we heard you call,- Sadi corrected herself.
-Is that her, Sadi?-
-How many other vir would Sadi be speaking to, you idiot?-
Kile couldn’t see where the third voice came from but could feel the presence of yet another large cat.
-How should I know? That’s why I asked,- the cat on the floor called back.
Sadi shook her head and sighed. -You have to forgive Awiya. He is young.-
-And stupid,- the third cat added.
Sadi sighed again. -And that would be Barseen.-
“How… many are there?” Kile asked nervously. She had called out to the cougars to watch over her during the night, but she didn’t want a whole herd of them. That is if cougars came in herds.
-There are only three of us,- Sadi said.
The horses whinnied as the platform vibrated when the third cat, Barseen, leaped down from a hole in the roof. He was much larger than Sadi, and had a commanding presence as he slowly came toward them.
-We do not share our territories,- he growled.
-Whose territory?- Sadi challenged.
-Your territory,- Barseen answered reluctantly.
-Ask her if we can eat one of the cows,- Awiya shouted up to them.
-Cows? What cows?- Barseen asked.
-These cows?-
-They’re not cows you moron, they’re horses.-
-Oh… okay…. Can we eat one of the horses?-
-No!- Barseen and Sadi shouted together.
-Fine, be that way,- Awiya said, sitting down in the corner and sulking.
-Why did you allow him to come?- Barseen asked.
-His territory touches mine, and you are getting old,- the female cougar said.
-Are you serious? You and him? I don’t want to hear that.-
-Then don’t ask the questions if you don’t want the answers.-
Barseen slumped down onto the platform. -Now I have that vision stuck in my head, thank you very much.-
-Apologies,- Sadi said, after turning back to Kile. -This is why we do not often come together.-
“I’m just grateful you’re here.”
Barseen laughed. -You may be, but that vir sure wasn’t.-
“Vir, what vir?” Kile asked.
-One of the vir decided to sneak out at night. He walked around the barn, but no matter,- Sadi said in a casual tone.
“You didn’t… kill anyone?” Kile asked nervously. That was the last thing she wanted. She hoped the presence of a cougar would be enough.
-No, it’s not worth the hassle,- Barseen answered.
-What he means is, if we hunt the vir, the vir will hunt us. As long as we stay away from them, they leave us alone. It is enough they fear us.-
-They’ll fear us more, after tonight,- Barseen added and Sadi laughed.
-This is true,- she said.
Kile wasn’t sure what they meant by that little exchange, but as long as no vir were killed and the cougars came away with the advantage, she could live with that.
-We came to tell you, we must be leaving. It would not do for the vir to see us during the day.-
“I wish there was something that I could give you as thanks.”
-How about a cow?- Awiya asked.
-Horse, you idiot,- Barseen yelled down at him.
-How about a horse, then?-
-No!- Barseen said and turned to Sadi. -Really, you and him? I fear for your children.-
-He is still young, Barseen, he will learn.-
-He has to learn, because there is no possible way he could get any stupider.-
Sadi shook her head and sighed again. -Just go, Barseen.-
-I’m going, but you know where you can find me,- Barseen said, turning to Kile.
-I am glad to have met you, child. May your journey carry you far. May your cycle be long,- the large cat said, leaping off the platform onto the barn floor fifteen feet below. He shot Awiya a sideways glance before silently slipping out the door.
Sadi watched him go before turning back to Kile. -We need nothing from you, my dear,- she said as she crouched at the edge of the platform. -Your time to help us will come, all too soon I fear.-
Jumping down onto the barn floor, she quietly exited through the open door.
-Nice to have met you,- Awiya shouted as he followed Sadi back into the swamps.
That was interesting, Kil
e thought.
Vesper poked his nose out of the satchel. -Are gone?- he asked.
“They’re gone. You can come out now,” she said. Kile looked down over the edge of the platform. The barn floor didn’t seem that far away. If they could do it, she should be able to. What was it Vanessa said? She took from the animals she connected with. Grabbing her bundle, she fell into her Edge and gently touched her feral side. Without giving it a second thought, she leaped down to the floor below, landing quietly on her feet. The horses were not happy.
-If you are going to start inviting your friends to visit, you should at least warn the rest of us,- Grim told her.
“Sorry, I didn’t think they’d come in. I only wanted them to watch over the barn. They seemed willing.”
-Of course they were. Protecting their food source, no doubt.-
“You heard them—they don’t want any trouble with the vir.”
-Maybe they don’t want to bring down the wrath of the Wild Hunter.-
“Don’t even go there.”
Stepping out of the barn, Kile took a deep breath and greeted the new day. The first rays of the sun were burning the mist off the ground, and there was a slight dampness in the air. She could smell the coming storm. There would be rain before long, and they still had some distance to go before reaching Salthaven. It would be best to get an early start, but it wasn’t up to her. She had to wait for the rest of the company to get up. It was so much easier when she traveled alone.
Having no desire to enter The Bloody Jackal, Kile found a large rock where she sat down, closed her eyes, and fell into her Edge. Stretching her consciousness out into the wild, she sensed one of the cougars still in the area. It was probably Awiya since he was the youngest and most curious of the three. She turned her attention away from him and up toward the trees, where the dawn choir was singing to the first light of the morning. It wasn’t long before she was flying over the province of Sofland.
If only she could grow her own wings, then nothing would stop her from leaving. She could fly over the great desert to the lands in the west. She wouldn’t have to worry about the war, the valrik, or the vir. Unfortunately, for now, she could only live vicariously through the eyes of the birds around her. High above the land, she could see the sea and even smelled the salt water. It was closer than she thought.