Wolfeater

by Anthony Mitchell

  The girl needed no second invitations. She turned on her heels and scuttled away. Talak watched her go, her slender figure weaving a path back through the trees, until he lost sight of her amongst the shadows surrounding the distant campfires.

  Talak felt a wave of relief wash over him as he watched the girl go. The din he had once thought beautiful, which he'd somehow mistaken for the song of the Will, seemed to follow the girl away, and a sudden stillness filled the air around Talak. The woods fell silent in the sudden calm, and even the faint trickle of the stream grew muted.

  Talak glanced up at the trees and waited. It only took a moment for him to see it. A powerful breeze blew in from the north, the trees rustling in its wake, bending slightly towards Talak. As we all must bend to the Will.

  Then the gust hit him, and he staggered back. It was cold. Colder than any wind Talak had felt before; cold enough to catch his breath. And the message it carried was loud and clear.

  The girl must die.

  Talak smiled. It was not Tess the voice wanted dead, he knew, but Jian. If only it were that simple… Bowing his head into the wind, he dropped to a knee, his fur cloak whipping about him in a fury. 'The men like her,' he called out. There was no fear he might be overheard, for he knew the Will would wash away his words long before they reached unworthy ears. 'They respect her, Radok saw to that. If I make a move against her, there is a good chance it will cost me my life.'

  The wind struck him again, staggering him back another step, this time the falling snow sharpened into needles of ice that bit into Talak's flesh. Then test her, the voice said. Let the Grey Crow judge her worth.

  And then the wind was gone, the last of it crashing past Talak and sweeping south, leaving the snow to resume its gentle fall, landing softly, unchallenged.

  Talak felt a deep sense of emptiness settle upon him in the quiet that followed. It was a strange feeling to be left alone, the desires of the Seven resting on your shoulders. Always there had been a guiding hand, a chatter of voices to help him choose the right path. No more, it seemed. Now, there was no choice involved. The Will had laid the path before him and it was up to Talak to see it done. One voice, one Will.

  The Will. Talak could still remember the first time he heard it, standing at the Blackstone as a boy. He smiled at the memory. The Stone itself had seemed so small and insignificant after everything that came before.

  They had to battle their way through the elements to reach it, battered every step of the way by the very worst the Whitelands could throw at them. Then they climbed the Käda, known to the southerners as the Last Rock, a vast mountain sitting alone in the white wasteland.

  Talak's fingers had bled that day. He lost three toes and two friends by the time he reached the summit. Even then, there was worse to follow. At the summit the peak lay ahead of them, accessible only by the slimmest of ridges, flanked on either side by a drop of hundreds of feet down to cold, jagged rock and certain death.

  The Blackstone lay at the other end of this ridge, standing no more than ten foot tall; a needle of black rock jutting from the ground like a tooth. In every other way the Stone was unremarkable, save that it stood in the centre of a vast cave mouth, like a sentinel standing guard. The cave itself was something else entirely; a chasm of darkness that opened on the mountain top, yet fell away deep into the mountain's core, and from its mouth it seemed all the wind in the world spilled forth, roaring around the Stone and hammering at those who had dared to climb the mountain.

  'Time to test your mettle against the Will,' Calimon had said, their guide on the journey. He had to shout to be heard over the cacophony of the wind. 'Walk the ridge and touch the Stone, and you will find your place in the All Song.'

  Though it was no more than twenty strides long, it had taken Talak almost an hour to cross the ridge. Even before he stepped onto it, he had watched two of his friends swept from the path by the sheer force of the Will, their fragile bodies shattered on the rocks far below. Still, he held his nerve and stepped out.

  The wind buffeted him from every side, the brunt of it striking him face first, like a relentless scream of defiance bellowed out by the cave. Talak had leaned into that scream, edging himself forward. Every step he took was marred by crumbling rock, or threatened by slick ice.

  Yet inch by inch, the Blackstone grew closer. Talak could feel the eyes of his peers and their Ashan Tay guide fixed on him, willing him on, but he dared not look back. He knew that would mean death for sure.

  He dived the last few paces, landing at the foot of the Blackstone. In the shelter of the Stone, the wind never touched him. He could hear it, bellowing all around him, and he could even see it, whipping around the Stone, given form by the snow and dust caught in its stream. But the pain and numbness that came from the incessant battering of the wind subsided almost at once.

  He pushed himself to his knees and peered up at the Blackstone, now within arm’s reach, seeing it with fresh eyes. Up close, he could see the Stone's surface was almost smooth, yet there were thin tendrils of white cutting through it like veins through flesh. Without knowing what he was doing, Talak removed the glove from his right hand and reached out.

  His bruised and battered fingers pressed softly to the Stone, the palm close behind. And then his world had changed…

  Forty years on, Talak could no longer remember how life had changed, only that it had. The Stone was warm to touch, he remembered that. Despite the setting - so deep in the Whitelands that a man's piss would freeze the moment it left his cock - somehow the Stone was warm. It had made him feel warm.

  Yet that was nothing compared to the change in the wind. In an instant, what was once a meaningless rush of sound became a song, rhythmic and beautiful. And when he listened closely enough, Talak could actually hear their words weaving through it; the words of the Seven, giving voice to the Will.

  They had been with him ever since, the Seven and the Will. Until now. And in the silence they had gifted him, Talak began to understand the truth of faith. It worked both ways. All his life, he had put his faith in the Seven and in return they had shown him the way. Now, suddenly, they had shown their faith in him, trusting that he would find the way himself.

  Talak smiled. It was a liberating feeling, to be free of their constant bickering; to know what had to be done without being led there by the hand. With that thought, chest swelling with pride, Talak made his way back towards the campfires.

  Circling the fires and the sleeping bodies to the left, he stopped beneath a tall tree looking out over the northern plains. Talak gave a short, low whistle and waited... until the branches overhead began to move drastically, and a massive figure swung down to land beside him. Dakar was a big man anyway, but in his furs he looked like a bear.

  'What is it, Ashan Tay?' he asked, his booming voice tamed to a whisper.

  'I take it you saw us?' Talak kept his own voice low, glancing furtively in the direction of the fires.

  'I saw you and the girl move away.' The big man shrugged. 'Didn't seem any business of mine, so I left it at that.'

  'A wise choice.' Talak leaned in a little closer. 'The girl has raised concerns about Jian's loyalty to the cause.'

  Dakar raised an eyebrow. 'Tess said that?'

  Careful, Talak. This is not their first hunt together, but it is yours. 'It's not so much what she said,' he said smoothly, 'but what the Seven whispered between the words.'

  'I wouldn't worry about Jian, Ashan Tay. She's never had it easy, but she's Grey Crow to the core. I'll vouch for her, if that's what you need?'

  'Oh, I believe you.' Talak offered a wry smile. 'But the Seven need more than words, Dakar. Jian owes Radok a life debt, and that's hard to turn your back on at the best of times. She's already spoken out in defence of him. Who knows what she'll do when the time comes?'

  'She'll do as the Will commands.' Dakar met Talak's gaze and sighed. 'She's here, isn't she? What more does she have to do?'

  'She has to prove herself.' Talak paused for a
moment, pretending to rub at tired eyes. 'I know you like her, Dakar. By the Seven, I like her myself! But if she betrays us, it will be at the last possible moment, when the damage will be at its greatest. We can't let that happen.'

  After a long moment, Dakar shook his head and rolled his eyes, resigned. 'What must I do?'

  'On the morrow, when we come to ride, you will challenge me. You will argue that Radok is already dead and it would be a waste of life to pursue him. You will argue convincingly.'

  'That won't be hard,' said Dakar, 'I half believe it already.'

  'As does Jian. Knowing she has you on her side may convince her to make a move against me… against the Seven. If she does, then we end her. If not, then we'll know she can be trusted and all will be forgiven.'

  'And what if everyone else throws in with me and Jian before you get chance to reveal it was all just a test?'

  One voice, one Will.

  Talak smiled. 'Have a little faith, boy.'

  ✽✽✽

  'And what did you say to that?'

  Tess lifted her head from Jian's chest and gazed up at her. 'I told him I would do whatever the Will demands.'

  Jian felt her tensions ease a little. 'Very wise,' she said softly. Her hand caressed Tess's back, fingers running through the fur blanket draped over the pair. 'Talak is a dangerous man, Tess. The Long Eye tried to warn me about him, but I didn't listen. There is something… wrong with him.'

  'What did she say?'

  'She said he has no idea what he is.'

  Tess looked suddenly fearful. 'What if he plans to kill you?'

  'If he could kill me, I'd be dead already.' Jian's gaze drifted back to the campfire beside them, crackling and popping in the silence. 'He can't kill me for the same reason I can't kill him. The group has too much respect for us both. I've earned it through the blood we've shed together, he's earned it as Ashan Tay. It makes anything that follows… unpredictable.'

  'Then what will he do?'

  Jian took a moment to consider the question. 'If he wants to kill me, he'll need to break the respect first. He'll try to make me look small in front of the men; probably with some kind of test.' She nodded at the thought. 'A test of loyalty.'

  'I'll kill him now,' said Tess, attempting to surge to her feet. Jian dragged her back down.

  'You'll do no such thing.'

  'I don't care what they do to me. It would be worth it just to see the surprise on his face as I run my blade through him. He doesn't even have the respect of the wind that comes out his arse, much less the Seven!'

  Jian laughed at that. 'Stupid girl,' she said, kissing Tess's forehead. 'You may be right about him, but not everyone feels the same. Give him no reason to doubt you. And the next time you find yourself alone with him, just give him what he wants.'

  Tess let her head fall gently to Jian's chest, where she rose and fell with Jian's breathing. 'He wants you, Jian,' she said after a long moment. 'He has always wanted you.'

  Jian closed her eyes and let her breathing deepen. Tess was right, of course. Jian had felt the old man's eyes raking her body on more than one occasion, even when her man was still alive. Not that Talak did much to hide his desires. As Ashan Tay, he seemed to think he could have whatever he wanted.

  That Jian had refused his blessing on the day of her marriage only made matters worse. No one ever spurned the blessings of the Ashan Tay. No one.

  I told you what would happen, Talak had said the day the babe died. I warned you that Chadra would seek him out. Next time you will beg for me to lay with you!

  Squeezing her eyes tighter, Jian felt tears rolling down her cheeks. There had never been a next time, not for her. No man wanted to lay with a husband-killer. And even if they did, the babe's death had cost Jian her womb. There would be no more children for her. No more men, for that matter. She'd had her fill.

  'He knows where I am,' she whispered into Tess's ear, 'if that's what he wants. And I hope he does. For the one-eyed snake knows no tougher prey than what lies between my legs!'

  She felt Tess smile at that, and they hugged each other tightly, until they fell asleep, locked in each other's arms.

  Jian awoke with the dawn, dragged from sleep by the high-pitched call of a bird echoing down from the heavens. She glanced up to see three silhouettes wheeling majestically overhead, their great wings flapping effortlessly through a calm, clear sky. Grey crow, of course, watching over their kin.

  She relaxed then, watching the birds soar overhead, her grip slackening on the bone-handled dagger she'd pulled from beneath her blankets.

  Tess was beside her a few moments later, thrusting a hunk of toasted bread and a slice of salted beef under Jian's nose, along with a flask of steaming water to wash it down. Grunting her thanks, Jian made short work of the offerings. It was a lesson hard learned over the years in the wilds, but this close to the Whitelands nothing stayed warm for long.

  All around the small camp, men were beginning to rise. Jian ran her eyes over them. She saw Pican dunk his head in a bowl of hot water, and when he emerged he looked like a demon of old, steam rising from him like smoke from the flesh. She watched Dakar clearing his throat of what seemed an inhuman amount of phlegm, and she saw Talgar yawning and stretching and then…

  …Talak, standing in the midst of it all, dark and brooding, ominously silent. He pulled his hood clear and turned his face to the heavens, his arms rising at his sides. The hunters fell silent as they watched him, drawn into a circle around him. Even Jian, pushing herself to her feet and pulling her fur cloak into place, joined them in the circle. She watched the Ashan Tay with a growing sense of unease.

  'The wind,' whispered Tess, her hand slipping into Jian's as she stepped alongside her. 'It's not touching him!'

  Jian's eyes narrowed as she took a closer look. The wind moved all around them, rustling through the treetops overhead, snapping and flapping through cloaks, and hoods, and jackets, and hair. It came howling through the trees and battered at the party from every direction. Yet Talak stood unmoving in the centre of it all, as though he alone marked the eye of the storm. Jian would not have believed such a thing, were she not seeing it with her own eyes.

  Tess is right. Not a single hair on his head dances to the song.

  'What the hell is he?' muttered Tess, sending a shiver down Jian's spine, as the words of the Long Eye echoed in her mind.

  'He knows not,' she whispered back.

  'The time has come!' Talak barked at the crowd, his arms waving enthusiastically through the still air. 'Today, we catch the Wolfeater. Dead or alive, his journey to the Blackstone ends!'

  'He's dead anyway!' a voice called from the crowd. 'There's no coming back from the lungrot. Why should we throw our lives away for his?'

  It was Dakar speaking. Loyal, steadfast Dakar. So, this is the test? Jian rolled her eyes. How disappointing.

  'Ah,' said Talak, 'the voice of dissent. You're not alone in your doubts, Dakar. Jian has already shared her thoughts on the matter.'

  'That's right,' said Jian, pulling free from Tess's grip and making her way through the crowd towards Dakar. 'I've already said this mission is folly.'

  'You see!' Talak cried triumphantly. 'All she needed was a second voice. Now she seeks…'

  His voice trailed off as Jian struck out, stiffened fingers catching Dakar in the throat. The big man fell to his knees, gasping for breath, and Jian's dagger point found its way to his throat.

  'I raised my concerns,' Jian continued smoothly, 'and Talak eased them. Radok must be stopped. That is the Will.' She looked purposefully at the Ashan Tay. 'We are crossing into the Whitelands, and if we start questioning each other's loyalty, then we're all doomed. We follow Talak. That's what the elders demanded, that's what we'll do. And the Seven will judge us in the aftermath.'

  Talak gazed at her, astonished. After a moment he cleared his throat. 'Indeed. I should never have doubted your commitment, Jian. The Grey Crow are fortunate to be blessed with such a heart.'

 
He made to turn away, but Jian called out to him. 'What about this one?' she asked, twisting the dagger point in Dakar's neck. He looked up at her helplessly, then back to Talak with pleading eyes.

  Talak took a moment to consider, and in that moment Jian saw a spark igniting. A spark of malice, given light by the smile playing on his lips. 'Kill him,' he hissed. 'There is no place for non-believers on this quest. Best to cut it out before the Will turns against us.'

  Jian's heart sank. Her hand was sweating she realised, despite the cold, and the dagger felt suddenly heavy in her grip. For just a moment she had thought she'd outsmarted the Ashan Tay, but perhaps this was his plan all along? Perhaps this was the test?

  She laid a hand on Dakar's shoulder, leaning in closer, her mouth an inch from his ear. 'I'll see your ashes cast, Dakar,' she whispered. Then she leaned closer still. 'And I'll kill him for this.'

  She drove the dagger into his neck, severing the artery, then drew it back and plunged it into his heart. It was quick and painless, and he was gone before he hit the ground.

  Talak showed no emotion as his puppet's blood ate into the snow. 'Well done, girl,' he offered, before turning his attention back to the rest of the party. 'On then. I want Radok before the day is done. That is the Will.'

  Jian remained by the corpse while the others gathered their belongings and made ready to march on. The sun was still low, but the day had brightened and the snow was holding off. The fires were still burning too, she was pleased to see.

  As the party moved out, Tess at Jian's urging, only Talak paused to look questioningly in Jian's direction. 'Girl?'

  She gestured at Dakar's corpse. 'I told him I'd see his ashes scattered, and I'm nothing if not a girl of my word.'

  Talak nodded. 'So be it… though it's more than he deserves. We won't wait for you though, Jian. Radok is out there somewhere, drawing ever closer to the Blackstone.'

  'I know,' said Jian. 'I'll catch up to you.'

  Talak nodded his head and turned away, leading his line of warriors back through the trees and out to the plains, which ran away north, vast and white and dangerous. Some of the men nodded respectfully to Jian as they passed. That was something, at least. It was one thing to keep Talak onside, but something else entirely if it meant forming a rift with those Jian hunted with.