DarkSkull Hall

by Lisa Cassidy

The small group huddled together underneath the tarpaulin sheet as rain and wind lashed at them all night. The weather was too wild and wet for any of them to sleep, especially when the Harkness flooded its banks even further, the water’s edge creeping closer and closer to them. Alyx spent the time squeezed between Dashan and Dawn, shivering from the cold and unable to get warm or comfortable.

  Sometime near dawn the wind died off and the rain slowed to a light drizzle. Alyx must have drifted off into a doze, for the next thing she knew, morning light filtered through her eyelids. She cracked her eyes open, taking in the drizzle, grey sky, and swollen, rushing river.

  Dashan was no longer beside her, and most of the Bluecoats were also out of sight. Dawn had fallen asleep against her shoulder, and Finn was snoring on his sister’s other side. Footsteps sounded and Dashan appeared out of the surrounding trees. His distinctive blue cap had vanished, his coat was unbuttoned, and he looked rumpled and muddy.

  Alyx shifted, waking Dawn in the process. The girl yawned and sat up, rubbing sleep blearily from her eyes, then suddenly stiffened.

  “Dawn?” Finn asked, half asleep but sensing his sister’s distress.

  “They’re close.” Dawn looked at her twin. “The voices, they’re really close.”

  “How close?” he asked.

  “Closer than I’ve felt them yet.” Dawn shook her head in frustration. “I’m sorry I can’t be more specific.”

  Dashan stared at Dawn for a long moment, then turned and bellowed for the Bluecoats to get back to camp.

  “What is it?” Audern demanded as he strode from the trees.

  “Dawn thinks the Shiven are close.”

  Audern’s hand dropped to his sword and he scanned the trees around them. As Bluecoats appeared, they formed up around the camp in a calm and disciplined fashion, a sight that reassured Alyx.

  Then a whistling object flew through the clearing, embedding itself in a tree right beside Tijer’s ear.

  Time seemed to freeze for a moment while everyone stared at the quivering arrow, then the calm abruptly shattered. Audern shouted orders even as another arrow took Jakka in the throat and his body crumpled to the ground. Metal rang as Bluecoats drew swords and looked for cover.

  “Get to the horses, Alyx!” Dashan roared at her. “Go with Casta!”

  Alyx’s stiffened muscles protested violently as Casta took her arm and pulled her at a run towards his horse. Her hands reached for the pommel of the saddle as the stallion half-reared in fright. She staggered sideways and fell, only barely managing to drag herself back upright. Something whirred past her ear and then an arrow embedded itself in the tree beside her head.

  “Dashan!” she screamed.

  He looked back, taking in the arrow with a quick glance. A second later, several strange men came running down the riverbank towards them, swords drawn.

  Alyx froze in terror. She’d never seen Shiven warriors in the flesh before. They were tall, broad-shouldered like Dashan, and she could see his likeness in their intense dark eyes. Their skin was much fairer though, and their clothes were an unusual motley collection that made them seem alien and terrifying.

  Unlike Alyx, who remained frozen in fear, Dashan was already moving. He strode into the centre of the clearing, sword raised, dropping into a defensive stance. Several other Bluecoats joined him on Audern’s order, while others split off to surround Alyx and the twins as they mounted.

  “Go!” Dashan bellowed at her again. “Go!”

  “Lady Egalion, get on the horse!” Audern shouted as he raced towards her.

  Her attention was torn from the fight as Casta reached down to haul her up in front of him. Tijer and Roland dragged Dawn and Finn onto their own agitated mounts.

  Casta then yanked the stallion sideways and kicked him into a fast gallop. Alyx almost lost her seat again and pain stabbed in her fingers as she desperately tried to hold on. The Bluecoats clustered together as they swung east and galloped along the banks of the churning Harkness.

  She tried to look back to see what was happening with Dashan, but it was too difficult while she was trying to maintain her seat. Arrows followed them, whirring through the air. Alyx crouched down in terror over the horse’s neck—she could barely believe what was happening.

  The bank of the river consisted of thick mud, and the stuff flew everywhere as the horses waded through it as quickly as they could. Alyx watched in horror as one Bluecoat caught an arrow high in his neck and toppled off his horse with a cry.

  Seconds later, another was killed as two arrow shafts embedded themselves in his back. Tijer looked back, shouted a command, then turned his horse away from the river. Alyx’s stomach lurched as Casta and Roland and the remaining Bluecoats followed suit, and they plunged back into the forest.

  Now the hail of arrows lightened. Casta shouted for them all to keep together, and Jenka rode up beside Roland and Tijer. The twins were holding on for dear life. Arrows took two more of the Blue Guards before they rode clear, their pursuers left behind.

  Alyx had never felt more wretched in her life as they sat huddled together near the rushing waters of the Harkness late that night. They’d been forced to ride at a gallop for the rest of the day, until the horses were foundering. Now they couldn’t afford a fire in case it was spotted, and the rain continued to fall on them in a steady drizzle. Every muscle in her body ached, and she was wet and cold. She wanted so desperately to be home with her father and Cayr that it almost brought tears to her eyes.

  What made it worse was that Dashan hadn’t yet returned. She didn’t know how she was ever going to tell Cayr if he’d been killed. Anger sparked briefly underneath her weariness; what had Lord-Mage Casovar been thinking, to send them this way? Even more pressing—why had the Shiven attacked them? Five Bluecoats were dead. They’d died in front of her. Nausea swept through her at the memory.

  The twins murmured quietly beside her, but Alyx stared away from them, not wanting to be drawn into their conversation. In Audern’s absence, Tijer had taken control, probably because he was the oldest of those remaining. He and Jenka conversed in low tones as they discussed heading back to scout along their trail for signs of Audern, Dashan, and the others who stayed to fight the Shiven. Jenka sounded angry, but Tijer spoke patiently and eventually Jenka gave a sharp nod.

  “Miss A’ndreas?” Tijer came over and knelt in front of them, his dark hair framing a narrow face that looked gaunt in the dim light. “Can you tell us anything?”

  “They’re not close.” Dawn shivered. “At least, I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything but faint whispers for a while now. What I hear isn’t constant though, I don’t know how much we can rely on it.”

  “Tijer, we can’t leave the others back there. What if they need help?” Roland approached. He had been the liveliest Bluecoat of the group, but now his good humour had vanished and he was as grim as the others.

  Tijer looked at Dawn for a long moment, clearly torn. “Let’s assume Miss A’ndreas is right and we’ve lost them for now. We can’t afford to go back and have them pick us up again. Our priority is the safety of our charges. If the others made it, they’ll need to find their own way out.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You and Casta take first watch. Jenka and I will relieve you in a few hours.”

  Alyx thought all four Bluecoats looked horribly young in the dim light, none of them more than a few years old than Dashan. Approaching hoof-beats sounded over the rain. Alyx jumped in fright. Steel rang as the Bluecoats drew their swords.

  Everyone relaxed a moment later as Dashan rode into the clearing and dismounted. His blue jacket was torn and spatters of dried blood spread over the white shirt he wore underneath. Dark shadows lined his eyes, and his shoulders slumped.

  “Dash!” Alyx leapt to her feet. “You’re okay?”

  “Just barely.” He strode over. “Good work getting them clear, Lieutenant.”

  “Thanks. Where’s the Captain?” Tijer asked.

  “We got
clear, but then we were separated,” Dashan replied. “I don’t know if he made it.”

  “And Dorian and Sasha?”

  Dashan simply shook his head. Tijer flinched, and Roland dropped wearily to the ground. Jenka reached out a hand to settle on his shoulder.

  “Miss A’ndreas thinks we’ve lost them for now,” Tijer spoke into the silence. “Did you notice any sign of pursuit?”

  “I shook them a while back,” Dashan said, leading his horse over to the others and busying himself with unsaddling and tying him up.

  At a nod from Tijer, Roland and Casta left to stand watch. Tijer then drew Dashan and Jenka away for a murmured conversation while Alyx and the twins were left alone.

  They sat in silence for a long time. Alyx certainly didn’t know what to say, and it seemed neither of the twins did either. Everyone started at the sound of another approaching horse, then relaxed as Roland called the all clear. Yirrin rode tiredly into the camp a few moments later. More time passed, and none of the other missing Bluecoats joined them.

  “We’re going to make it,” Finn said unexpectedly, breaking the silence.

  Dawn nodded at his words. “The voices have gone faint. I can barely hear them now.”

  “That doesn’t mean we’ve lost them.” Dashan hunkered down before them. “The Shiven are skilled trackers.”

  “Why did they attack us?” Alyx asked. “We didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t either.” Dashan sounded grim. “Shiven patrols don’t attack unprovoked like that. There’s never been an incident this far from Port Rantarin.”

  “Do you think they’ll leave us alone now?”

  “I don’t know. I hope so. We have to assume the worst, though, that they’ll keep pursuing us.”

  “What do we do?” Finn asked.

  “We’ll follow Captain Audern’s instructions: continue east until we reach the river crossing, then head straight north. If it makes you feel any better, we’re actually angling back towards the Rionnan border, near the Madman’s lands, in fact.”

  “How long will it take once we’re across the river?” Alyx asked.

  “A couple of days at least, maybe longer.”

  She looked away. The thought of enduring this level of fear and discomfort for another several days was unbearable, yet she had no choice but to go on. The twins said nothing either. They were huddled together looking pale and drawn. Alyx gritted her teeth and told herself she’d get through this. She had to if she wanted to see Cayr and her father again.

  “How are you doing there, mage-girl?” Dashan seemingly read her thoughts.

  “I’m fine.”

  He watched her for a moment, eyes dark in his weary face. “Sure you are.”

  “Do I have any other choice?”

  “Nope. You’re doing well so far, though. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.” He smiled, reached out to touch her shoulder, then rose and walked away. Alyx shivered as she watched him join the other Bluecoats. Only six of them left to protect her now. If only her father knew what was happening—deep down she knew that if he’d believed there was a chance any of this would happen, he would have refused to send her, king’s order or not.

  That thought was small comfort. It was too late to go back now.

  Chapter 7

  The Shiven caught up with them the next day as they reached the river crossing and began fording their way across the swift-flowing Harkness. They were strung out across the river, hanging onto the horses to stop themselves being swept away in the strong current.

  Tijer hadn’t wanted to risk more men by sending scouts along their back trail, and so the first they knew of the approach was Dawn crying out in fright. Alyx looked back towards the girl.

  “What is it?”

  “I can hear them again. They’re close.”

  “How close?” Tijer called out.

  “Like the other morning.”

  “Let’s hurry this up,” Dashan said. “We need to get across to safety before they reach us.”

  Water splashed as a sense of panicked urgency set in. Alyx kept casting glances back at the shore until she spotted the shapes of men inside the trees along the riverbank. Tijer saw them at the same time and shouted out a warning.

  Seconds later, arrows whizzed across the surface of the water. Yirrin was killed instantly as an arrow drove into his chest. Alyx stared, transfixed, as his lifeless body drifted away on the current.

  “Keep moving,” Tijer ordered. “Use the horses for cover.”

  Alyx ducked underwater to avoid the arrows and water flooded into her mouth and nose. She came straight back up, choking and spluttering. The horse she and Casta were holding onto sensed her panic and began thrashing about.

  She was hit in the face by the horse’s tossing head, dislodging her grip on his mane. The current picked her up but she was a strong enough swimmer that she managed to swim close to Casta and grab his outstretched hand. He shielded her with his body until they made it across to the opposite bank, just behind Dashan.

  Once there, they dragged the horses across the open ground as arrows rained down around them. When they’d reached the trees, Dashan grabbed Alyx and pulled her under cover. Casta took both horses and drew them deeper into the woods before tying their reins loosely around a low-hanging branch.

  “Stay down,” Dashan yelled at her, yanking off his jacket and letting it drop to the ground. His white shirt clung to his skin and water streamed from his hair. He was pale, eyes darker than usual, as he regarded her. “I mean it, Alyx. Stay down. I’ll be back.”

  “Dash, no!” she shouted as he and Casta ran back to wade into the water and help the twins, Roland, Jenka and their horses. Arrows whistled around them, and Alyx watched with her heart in her throat as Dashan made it back out of the river with both twins and a horse. Roland and Jenka struggled out behind them. Tijer was the last, blood streaming down the arm holding his plunging horse.

  “Keep moving,” he said as he gained the cover of the trees and brought his horse under control. “Dashan, take the lead but stick close to Lady Egalion and the twins. Jenka, Casta, keep to the rear. Roland and I will take the left and right flanks. If you see anything, shout loudly.”

  “Will they follow us over the river?” Alyx asked, teeth chattering from the cold.

  Dashan nodded; he was shivering too as he pulled his soaked jacket back on. “But they’ll find it slower going without horses. Come on.”

  He lifted her up onto Casta’s horse, then put Finn up behind Jenka. In under a minute, he’d pulled Dawn onto his own horse, and was leading the way through the trees. Darkness crept over the forest early as thick grey clouds coalesced overhead.

  “I can hear them again,” Dawn spoke, making Alyx jump. “Somewhere to the east of us, I think.”

  “Another patrol?” Casta wondered aloud.

  “What is going on here?” Jenka’s face was tight with anger.

  Before anyone could make a reply, a howling reverberated through the trees. The sound was high-pitched and eerie. It made the skin on the back of Alyx’s neck prickle.

  “What was that?” Finn asked, voice shaky.

  “I don’t know,” Tijer called out. “Let’s bring it in. The light is fading, and I don’t want anyone out of sight.”

  They urged the horses on, but they were exhausted, and couldn’t manage more than a slow trot. The howling came again, closer this time. Alyx spotted a shadow moving through the trees to their left. She caught a flash of yellow eyes, and then the howling came again, unexpectedly close.

  The horses panicked. The one carrying Dashan and Dawn reared spectacularly before setting off at a frantic gallop. Casta’s horse followed suit, and Alyx hung on desperately as Casta swore and tried to bring him under control. Bushes and branches slapped past, the horses heedless of where they were going in their panic.

  Shadowy creatures appeared out of the dimness, pacing alongside them. The galloping horses burst into a clear
ing. Alyx was on the second horse and didn’t see much of what happened next. Spitting and snarling echoed through the trees, there was a blur of movement, then her horse was screaming and blood spurted from its throat.

  She and Casta were tipped sideways, hitting the ground hard and only just managing to scramble out of the way before being crushed by the dying horse. Arrows hissed through the air, coming perilously close to each of them. Alyx screamed in sheer terror, and Dawn was screaming too.

  Without warning, she was picked up and dragged away from the horse. Screaming again, she struggled, but the arms that held her were like iron. She twisted around and saw a fierce-looking man with shaved head before she was dumped onto the back of another horse. The stranger jumped up behind her, trapping her.

  The horse was kicked into a gallop. Not wanting to struggle further and fall off, Alyx stayed still, trying to master her terror but failing miserably. She was too scared to scream anymore, every muscle in her body turning rigid with panic.

  A terrifying ride through the dark forest ensued. She could hear other horses around them, but see nothing, and the man behind her was completely silent. He rode his horse with exceptional skill, directing it with small movements of his body.

  After what felt like days’ worth of riding, but was probably only an hour or so, a pair of tall iron gates loomed out of the mist. The horses galloped through, continuing up a long stone driveway crowded thickly by fir trees.

  Beyond the trees, the outline of a large mansion loomed, possibly a castle. Her abductor pulled up in a torchlit gravel courtyard by the front steps, slipping off the horse and dragging her off behind him. He kept firm hold of her, giving her no chance to escape. Other horses rode up, and with relief Alyx saw the twins, looking scared but alive. Dashan and the four other Bluecoats were there too, weapons confiscated, wrists bound securely.

  Her attention turned to their abductors. Clearly warriors, they looked fearsome in the light cast by the flickering torches with their shaved skulls and bristling weaponry. All wore a motley garb of mixed browns and greens that likely helped them blend in with the forest. They weren’t Shiven though, Alyx could tell that much. Then she remembered Casta’s words from earlier and realisation hit her.