Anticipation made Edric wild inside, muscles tensed. It was easy to forget Callum suffered any injury at all with the way he moved, twisting and evading. Flawless. Even through his nerves Edric could appreciate the art his friend displayed. If only the General could be there to see him.
Taking an opening left by an overextension of Ewei’s arm, Callum moved forward, a quick flurry of motion leaving Ewei empty-handed, a panic-stricken expression coming across his face at the realization of what was happening. Still, he refused to give up. Crouched low he extended his leg outward in attempts to sweep Callum’s legs from under him, meeting only the empty air as Callum leapt over the strike. When Ewei rose to his feet once again Callum’s right leg came at him with incredible force, the top of his foot connecting solidly with Ewei’s face. Arms flailing wildly Ewei stumbled back, disoriented from the blow. It was all Edric could do to keep from cheering. Now wasn’t an appropriate time for applause. There would be plenty of opportunity for that later if Callum made it through this alive.
With Ewei disarmed Callum made fewer sweeps with his blade, keeping in close to his opponent to utilize less lethal strikes. The pommel of his sword was sturdy, connecting with a loud thud at the side of Ewei’s head. Edric cringed to see the blow, knowing the weight of the weapon Callum wielded. It was a finely crafted blade of Tuniron make. Heavy. The impact could be deadly under the strength of Callum’s hand delivering the hit. Weaving drunkenly, Ewei struggled to stay on his feet. Closing the distance between them, Callum hooked his front foot behind Ewei’s lead leg, controlling him, a sharp, well-planned pressure of his knee into Ewei’s bringing him crashing to the ground at Callum’s feet. Victorious, Callum placed the flat of his boot on Ewei’s chest, extending his left arm to point the tip of his blade at his opponent’s throat, making it clear that he could end Ewei’s life if he so chose. Lucky for Ewei, he had no intention of doing so.
“I don’t have any more time to waste on you,” Callum said through gritted teeth, pressing his foot harder against Ewei’s chest. “Now, I am going to be merciful and let you live because I have too much respect for your Chief to kill a man he seems convinced is deserving of the title you hold. Make no mistake, though. I will tell him exactly how I feel on the matter when he and I speak… which should be very soon.”
Scattered murmurs could be heard throughout the men. They were impressed. Edric could tell by the way their heads nodded to one another, their words inaudible in their hushed tones, but he didn’t need to hear what they said to know that they weren’t expecting the outcome to be as it was. He could only imagine the humiliation Ewei must feel in that moment. To be defeated in front of his men by a man who only required one arm to take him down. The damage to his ego would be irreparable… and it would only serve to heighten his hatred toward the Vor’shai. If Ewei was allowed to accompany them to Nahedu, it was all the more reason why they would need to be on their guard around him.
“Gentleman,” Callum lifted his head to direct his words to the other men. They listened, their hushed whispers quickly dissipating to hear what he had to say. “Whatever orders for travel your leader gave, I intend to deviate from. You are under no obligation to follow, but I would be honored to have your company when I return to Nahedu. Know that you are welcome to join us in our journey and I will not hold this man’s actions against anyone other than himself.”
With a calm, steady hand Callum slid the tip of his blade away from Ewei’s neck, letting it hover above him for a moment before returning it to its sheath. Slowly he removed his weight from the foot pinning Ewei to the ground, leaving him there to suffer his humiliation, offering no assistance in climbing back to his feet. Not that Ewei deserved it after the way he had treated them since the moment they met. In Edric’s mind he deserved far worse.
When Callum made his way back to where Edric and Sahra stood in awe, the determination remained clear in his eyes. In that moment everything about his friend commanded respect from the other men. He had conducted himself with strength and grace. A stunning display of skill despite the odds which had seemed against him from the start. It baffled Edric how Callum had been able to do it. Leaning forward he caught Callum’s arm, holding him still briefly, listening to the sound of his steady breathing as he fought to regain his composure from the fight. “You are going to be a very frightening king someday…”
A slight twitch of Callum’s mouth created the semblance of a smile, quickly disappearing again to be replaced by his usual somberness. “Every minute of my time that man wastes is another minute my wife is lying in that bed without me by her side. I refuse to let him stand in my way any longer. Come,” he motioned to Edric and Sahra with a slight nod of his head toward where Enapo stood. “I have played enough games for one morning. Let us be on our way. The others can choose to follow if they like. I have ceased to care about anything other than getting back to our men, finding the Avaern, and destroying it so we can leave this damnable place forever.”
“They are walking in circles,” Moinie grumbled, sniffing the air around her in disdain. “I must admit… a part of me did not believe Ewei would actually divert from the path to Nahedu. It seems we may have been closer to the truth in our assumptions after all.”
“Based on their path of travel, if they continue in this direction, they will arrive in Ilaka by tomorrow evening. Ewei places every warrior under his command in danger by coming anywhere close to the Ythes.” It was frustrating. Neomi hated to think that they had been right. That Ewei intended to cause harm to the Vor’shai. Those men had come all that way to help the Ovatai and in return they were being led to their death over Ewei’s pettiness. “I am not sure how much longer we can convince the men that we are still tracking the Avaern. The scent went cold days ago. By now they likely have started to believe that I lead them blindly – and directly into the territory of our enemy.”
Everything was so confusing. Were the men anyone else, she would have simply turned around when the track proved unsuccessful and made her way back to Nahedu to inform her brother of the failure. Now everything was more complicated. She couldn’t bear the thought of returning home without knowing Edric was safe. It was obvious Ewei would not take them to Nahedu. If she didn’t keep looking, they might never see the Vor’shai leaders again.
Around her the men were growing restless. Every step they took brought them closer to dangerous ground, within range of the Ythes warriors who had yet to involve themselves in the altercation, but had made it very clear that they supported Emakai’s plans. An occasional fighter from Ilaka was found amongst the enemy forces during battle. It would be foolish to think they would be amenable to Neomi trespassing on their land.
What was she going to do? By the scent, Edric and the others were at least half a day’s travel ahead. Her own men wouldn’t follow her much longer. If she intended to keep after Edric, she would find herself alone. Vulnerable to an attack by anything. She knew the land well enough to know there were other threats than the Ythes and the Avaern.
They were further north than Isavo, the landscape broken by uneven ground, more mountainous. And cold. Even for her skin, adapted to the chill that was normal for Ethrysta, the northern regions still brought with them a bite to the air that caused her to shiver. Inhaling deeply she tried to distinguish the different fragrances on the wind. Snow. Ice. Edric. She was familiar with his scent. It was there, lingering faintly. But there was something else. Another smell that hadn’t been there before yet now was unmistakable. Frozen in place she came to a halt, staring straight ahead. Fear gripped her heart at the realization of what it was. The Avaern. She couldn’t place where it came from but it was there. Vague and ominous.
Moinie noticed it as well. Their eyes met, uncertainty causing the glow of Moinie’s gaze to dim, wavering. “Neomi…”
“We have to keep going,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder to where the other men remained, their heads turning in every direction to try and place where the scent was coming from. It
was building. Coming closer.
“No,” Moinie shook her head. “We should take cover. Our mission was to track the beast, not fight it. If it finds us, it will kill us.”
“What if it is not us it seeks? Ewei’s men are more plentiful. What if Ewei has summoned it intentionally?”
“You give him more credit than he deserves. If he did something to draw its attention, it places him in the same danger as everyone else with him. He may not be very bright, but he isn’t that stupid.”
The pit in her stomach was building. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that the Avaern would pass them by, she knew it was wishful thinking. Snow was already beginning to stir at their feet, lifted into the air by the rapidly increasing wind, whipping about Neomi and the others in a violent gust. It was more gradual than the blizzard which came upon them in Isavo before the Avaern’s arrival. As if the creature was toying with them. Watching their growing unease. Moinie was right. They needed to find shelter immediately. Their numbers weren’t enough to even think of standing their ground.
Cracks and crevices were everywhere. It would be easy enough to find a location to hide. The concern was in how safe those locations would be. Many of them were deep. As they learned the hard way in Isavo, there wouldn’t be enough time to reach the bottom and once there, it would be a treacherous gamble as to whether or not they would be able to get back to the top. The openings weren’t nearly as wide as the chasm they hid in before. With the right amount of force the Avaern could cave the crevices, trapping them inside. Killing them under the weight of the snow and ice. They would have to find a different means of shelter. Their safest option was to disperse. If they stayed in a large group, they were exposed. Targets just waiting to be struck.
“Everyone, take cover!” she shouted, waving her hand wildly to direct the men away from her. The wind was building, bringing with it the strong scent of the Avaern mingled with another, reaching her senses just as the ground began to tremble underfoot. Something was coming. It wasn’t the sound of the Avaern’s screech or the massive wings pushing through the air. This was something else. Coming closer, each thud reminiscent of a large hoofed animal racing along the ground toward them.
Squinting into the wall of white snow she could make out the outline of a creature coming toward her. She wanted to be relieved that it wasn’t the Avaern while at the same time she was frightened to realize what it was which now charged, head lowered menacingly, a set of large, forked antlers aimed directly at her. A veswar. Native to the northern regions of Ethrysta, they rarely ventured far enough south to reach Nahedu. They were known for their violent tendencies. Strong. Fierce hunters. The creature’s body was large, covered in a thick, pure white fur, blending into the whorl of snow. The antlers were a slightly darker shade, making them the only part of its form visible with any clarity.
She cried out in surprise as she lunged out of the way to avoid its initial attack, rolling gracefully along the ground, her hand finding its way to the sword at her waist. In a swift motion she drew it, wishing the wind would settle so she could see the beast. There was no time for this! She needed to find somewhere to hide, but that would be impossible with this creature chasing her. Run! She was in no mindset to fight anything in that moment. Especially not something like the veswar. Even the most revered hunters avoided these beasts in the wild.
Turning away she set off into the blur of white praying she would find her way without falling. She couldn’t see anything. The only thing she was aware of was the sound of the veswar close on her heels, loud snorts cutting through the whistle of the wind as it fought to close the gap. It was succeeding. She wasn’t fast enough to outrun it.
In a desperate attempt to slow it down she extended her free hand behind her, the snow reacting to her commands, shooting upward in a solid mass of ice, like sharpened knives protruding from the ground. The veswar maneuvered easily around each one, the weight of its massive body breaking through them easily. She needed to think. There had to be something she could do to distract the creature.
Up ahead she could see the solid mass of an icy outcropping. It blocked her path, just high enough to make jumping it impossible. She was trapped. Her feet slid on the ice as she fought to slow her pace, veering hard to the right. She needed to get around it. If she could round it fast enough she might have a moment to climb onto the surface. The veswar wouldn’t be able to follow her up. But the higher she went, the more of a target she became for the Avaern. She was willing to take her chances. The veswar posed an imminent threat. The Avaern had not yet been sighted and remained less of a direct problem. One thing at a time.
To her relief the other side of the outcropping presented a more suitable surface for climbing. Handholds were visible, the wind partially blocked by the height of the ice. Returning her sword to its sheath she began her ascent, pressing her body tightly against the wall. The veswar was below her, the solid bone of its antlers ramming against the snow, causing the entire surface to shake, nearly sending her toppling to the ground from the force. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. It struck the wall with immense power, rattling it, the sound of cracking ice filling the air around her. It wouldn’t withstand much more. Desperate, she reached her hand upward, trying to climb higher. There was a flat surface at the top. If she could just get to it.
A loud crunch sent chills through her spine. Everything around her seemed to move in slow motion, the tips of her fingers slipping away from the snow, flailing wildly, unable to regain their hold. The weightless sensation as she fell through the air reminded her of the chasm in Isavo. It lacked height in comparison to the crevasse they fell into there, but the danger remained equal, knowing the veswar was at the base, waiting for her. When her body collided with the ground she braced herself, hands moving to cover her face. The outcropping was collapsing. Chunks of ice broke from the top, tumbling down from above. A large icy boulder plummeted from overhead, striking her hard in the abdomen, knocking the breath from her lungs. Despite the length of time it seemed to take for the snow to reach the ground, she was aware of the speed with which it occurred, covering her before the veswar had a chance to reap the rewards of its efforts in obtaining its prey. Within moments she was buried under the heavy remains, pain stabbing through every part of her body under the pressure. She couldn’t breathe. The weight of the ice prevented her from moving, holding her fast to the ground, unable to cry out for help. She could hear the veswar stomping on the snow, the hooves unable to dig deep enough to reach.
She didn’t know how to feel in that moment. Pain shot through her from everywhere. She was safe from the veswar but her current predicament was no better than that which she’d found herself in prior to her fall. The ice was crushing her. No one was around to know where she was or what had happened. She would be left behind to die regardless of whether the Avaern showed itself.
Her vision slowly started to fade. She fought to keep hold of consciousness but the pain was too much. Black spots danced around her vision, fading in and out of wakefulness. If the suffocating weight of the snow and ice didn’t kill her, the injuries inflicted upon her by it would. She was bleeding. Bones were broken throughout her body. She didn’t require seeing herself to know that. Even if she managed to break through the ice, she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. But Edric was still out there. He was still in danger. If she didn’t get to him, Ewei would lead him straight to his death. I have to get out of here.
Gathering what little strength she had left, she fought against the snow, a muffled scream escaping her from the pain the motion caused. She was trapped. Nothing she could do would get her out of there. Her only hope was that someone would find her. Moinie would come looking for her. But what if Moinie is dead… No. She couldn’t think about it. Moinie would be fine. If only she could say the same for herself.
Eyes closed, she tried to calm herself, relaxing the tension in her muscles, praying it would ease the pain. Air still flowed to her lungs, but barely
. The uncomfortable sensation of suffocating wouldn’t subside, her body unable to take in enough oxygen to sustain consciousness. Against her will she felt herself starting to slip further into the darkness, her thoughts becoming more incoherent with every passing moment. This was it. This was how she would die. No glory or honor. Forgotten there under the rubble while her men died around her. And for what? Her foolishness in desiring to follow Edric? Her misplaced love for a man she never should have involved herself with. Perhaps this was her punishment. Yet in her final moments of consciousness she realized there was no regret in her heart for what she had done. If the gods disapproved of her actions, she would accept the consequences of their wrath. But she refused to repent for the way she felt in Edric’s arms. He made her happy. Complete. Take me if you must, Sarhik. At least in death she would no longer have to worry about what her people would think of her love for a Vor’shai man. Her spirit could live in peace simply knowing that she had been blessed in having known him.
Edric moved along the snowy landscape with renewed hope, satisfied that they were getting closer to Nahedu with every step. He was impressed with how easy it had been to convince the rest of the Ovatai to follow them. After Callum’s display against Ewei, it required only a few commanding words from Enapo to sway them into agreement, gathering their things and conceding to the new leadership. Shamed by his defeat, Ewei remained at the back of the group. Sulking. Angry. Edric feared what would happen if Ewei decided to seek revenge for the humiliation he suffered at Callum’s hands but the men seemed to respect Callum too much. An attack against him risked the wrath of every warrior there.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 62