Rayna used her pack to block the entrance. She chewed on salted meat and wrapped cloth strips around her blistered feet before drifting into an uncomfortable slumber. Neither Alvo nor Lumae came to her, and her dreams were instead filled with thoughts of Coer and the Da' Gammorn.
A sharp voice penetrated her dreams as someone yanked on her legs. “Wake up! It’s a dream! ‘Zorn’s blood, wake up, girl!”
Rayna’s vision cleared. She was outside her shelter. A girl leaned over her. Her vivid eyes laughed as Rayna sat up and pushed her away.
“Oi!” the girl said. She slid her tightly-curled brown hair from her face. “I pull you from under a boulder, and this is how you thank me?” The girl's voice slid up an octave in imitation. “Help me! Somebody, help!”
“I wasn't trapped. I was sleeping,” Rayna growled, dusting herself off.
“Sure. What are you doing all by your lonesome anyway? Pretty young girl like you could get hurt.”
Rayna shook her head. Pretty young girl? The girl could not be much older and was pretty herself. Taking in her tawny skin, scattered freckles, wide eyes the color of river water, and generous curves, Rayna decided pretty was an understatement. “It's not your concern.” Rayna stood, pulling on her pack.
The girl sat cross-legged on the ground. “Let me guess. Running away? You look beat up. Your father hit you? Or your lover?”
Rayna turned away, but the girl kept talking.
“You look like you need help. I’m Mina!” she continued breezily.
“I don’t need help, Mina.” Rayna looked over her shoulder. “Just get out of here. This is not the best place to be right now.”
“Maenor is through here, right? Scary stuff. I wonder if they can really walk through walls—or if Alvornians can really use water magic. Most of the legends are just stories, but you never know. That thing about Fenearens turning into wolves is true, you know. I saw one in Halmstead. Still, I want to find the truth for myself. It’s so exciting–an adventure into the unknown! I've always wanted to explore Osterna Sud. Where are you from? What are you doing here?”
Rayna shook her head, bewildered. Was this what people were like in the Outers? She sprinted past the girl. After running half a league, she was confident she had lost the stranger.
Despite pain in her feet and her body's tired limbs, Rayna's spirits lifted. She was near the Outers, just as Bayne and her father had been long ago. Despite the circumstances, a small part of her was excited.
After a full day in the suffocating pass, Rayna found the end. Her mind wandered as she moved toward it. Thoughts of the girl she'd left behind, her excitement for new adventures, contrasted sharply with Rayna's fear of the unknown. She wasn't sure where to go after the Pass; Coer had not included a map, but the Eye of Heaven was a long ways north in the Sylrian Provinces. She would have to head north until she could find someone to give her directions. Rayna shook her head. She hated not having a clear plan.
She focused on her surroundings, sniffing the air and categorizing each scent. Voles, evergreens, stagnant water, songbirds. She took another whiff. A different scent appeared. Blood, wet fur, decaying flesh, damp air—the unmistakable scent of a carnivore. A bear. Rayna tensed. It was close; why hadn't she sensed it earlier? The scent came from the east, and that way stood the mountain’s wall. She stared at the spot from where the scent seemed to originate, and a pebble fell from above. Rayna dragged her gaze upward. On a ridge many tail-lengths above her head the source of the scent stared at her. She gulped. Bears were fiercely territorial.
Rayna moved toward the exit, focusing on the sounds around her. Her boots beat the sand, the wind blew past her ears. Somewhere a raptor screeched. She flinched at the thud of the bear hitting the ground behind her. She kept walking, her claws and teeth extended, her eyes shifted into almond-shaped slits. Her bones ached to transform. Maybe forming and running away was the best option?
As she considered it, the bear moved closer, until it could swat her like a gnat. She was not fast enough to run when it was this near. It was almost as though it was playing with her; it should have attacked by now. There was something different, something off, with its scent. The smell of rotting flesh and fur was stronger than it should have been. Rayna could feel its hot breath now, tainted with the scent of fish and decaying deer. Her hairs on her arms stood up. She sensed the proximity of its jaws to her fragile human neck. In a whirl of instinct, her body plummeted into wolf form and she snarled at her pursuer.
The bear rose, a gargantuan paw sweeping toward her. Rayna dodged. The narrow Pass walled her in, but at first she evaded the bear's blows.
It fell upon her with both claws. Rayna leaped to avoid its attack, but the razor-sharp tips caught her tail. She howled in pain. Regaining her balance, she used the steep-sided Pass to leap onto the bear’s back. Her claws and teeth dug into its skin. It roared with rage. Its body quaked, and her claws shook free. Only her teeth kept her pinned to its back.
The decaying scent flooded her mouth and nostrils. Her eyes streamed. Its flesh felt wrong, too. Too stiff. With surprising velocity, the bear spun. Rayna sailed through the air. She rolled as she hit the ground, saving her legs from injury, but her head jarred against the gravel. The impact pulled her into her human shape. As she struggled to recover concentration and mobility, the bear raced toward her. She tried to stand, but she shook, disoriented. Her mind screamed for her body to react. Time slowed as her limbs refused to function. The dark shadow of the bear and its black, filmy eyes closed in. The animal stood once again and roared before thrusting forward. She smelled the hot breath and knew the jaws were next.
It stopped short, leaned away, giving an almost pitiful bellow. An arrow had pierced its side. Another sailed into its chest, and yet another hit its head in quick succession. Its eyes glazed, turning into a lifeless stare as the beast fell to the ground. Rayna watched in amazement as a fuzzy figure hopped gracefully from the ledge above.
“Still think you don't need any help?” asked a familiar, airy voice.
Rayna stared at her savior. Mina gazed back at her. After a moment, Mina helped Rayna to her feet.
“Thanks.” Rayna brushed off her leather leggings.
“For what? Saving your ass or helping you up?”
“Both,” Rayna said, “and for stalking me. I appreciate that.”
“If I hadn’t, you and that bear would be in reverse roles.”
“That’s true.” Rayna knelt beside the bear’s body.
“What are you doing?” Mina asked, crouching beside her.
“Checking something.” Rayna investigated the bear, smelling it as surreptitiously as possible. She was not sure how Mina would react if she realized she was Fenearen. The rotting scent originated from its left side. Rayna leaned over the bear, ignoring the bile rising in her throat. An oozing, open wound had eaten through the bear, revealing its ribs. Rayna almost vomited as she jumped back. Mina followed her gaze before turning to her, her bronze skin ashen.
“It couldn't have survived a wound like that. How was it running around attacking you?”
“I don’t know,” Rayna lied. Coer’s words again came to her. They can possess other dead bodies they find—animals, humans—for short periods of time. How could she have been foolish enough to think that because the Da’ Gammorn themselves had not caught up to her, that she was safe? “Listen Mina, you saved my life, so let me save yours.”
Mina brushed black sand from her loose, knee-length breeches. “And how are you going to do that?”
“Don’t go to Maenor. Rhael Demetrian is amassing an army to attack Fenear. It isn’t safe there for an outsider.”
Mina considered her for a moment. Her river-water eyes skimmed Rayna from head to toe. Rayna was thankful she had not yet braided her wrap into her hair. Fenearens were the only people to wear such adornment of which she knew.
“How do you know? Where are you from?”
The lie came of its own volition. “An island in the Bay of
Ketos. I was in Maenor for trade when everything began. I’m going home the long way around.” Rayna was not sure why she was keeping her identity from Mina. Perhaps it had something to do with Bayne's time in the Outers with her father. They had been on a mission of goodwill, only to be imprisoned and almost sold as slaves. Maybe Mina was a good person, but she was a Kyrean, and it would be foolish to trust her.
Mina stared at her. “All right. Bay of Ketos it is. Do you have a name?”
She could not think of a reason to conceal that. “Rayna.” She left off her surname. Fenearens took their last name from the first name of a parent, usually the mother for females and the father for males. She was not sure whether “Myana” would reveal her identity.
“Rayna,” Mina repeated. “If your news is true, then I’m glad I followed you.”
“Why’d you follow me anyway?” Rayna asked. “You were going the opposite direction.”
“Well,” Mina scratched her head, “you looked like you had no idea what you were doing. I figured once you died or left your supplies unprotected, I could take your food. I’m running low, not much to hunt here.”
Rayna crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you just let the bear kill me?”
“Guess I felt sorry for you!”
“That’s a comfort.”
Mina shrugged. “Do you know what the northern exit of the Pass leads to?”
It seemed an odd question. “The Ou—The Kyrean Republic?”
“Aye, but first Drownman Swamp. It’s a bog near thirty leagues wide.”
“I’ll never get through there.” A swamp was a dangerous place for an unfamiliar wanderer.
“It is tough; it took me forever the first time, even though I'd memorized the map.”
Rayna sighed. She didn't know this girl, but if she were going to get through the swamp, she would need a guide. She was not ready to disclose her destination or identity yet, even if the girl had saved her life, but if she got her through and proved trustworthy, she could perhaps ask about the fastest route to the Eye of Heaven.
“Mina, I have a proposition. You need food. I’ve quite a bit of salted meat and bread, and once we get to open land, I can hunt more. But I need a guide. I can promise you adventure.”
Mina considered this before extending her hand in its leather, fingerless glove. “Wasn't my plan, but everything happens for a reason.”
Rayna shook it. She scented the air. The wind brought a smell of filthy water, sedge grass, and horsetails so strong that Mina had to have smelled it, too. They walked for half a league, and gradually the black volcanic sand gave way to peaty mud. The swamp was ahead, but at the edge Rayna held back, eyeing the acreage of marsh extending out of sight.
Mina strode past her. “It’s all right. Watch where you step, and follow me. The pike and snakes look scary, but they’re harmless. Most of them. Probably at least half are anyway.”
Rayna nodded with semi-confidence. Mina guided them along the bank, testing each step before taking it. Rayna grimaced as her boots sank into the sucking muck. They would have to move slowly to keep from falling in, but at least the bog would slow the Da’ Gammorn as well.
“I hate this part,” Mina said almost to herself as they continued alongside the open water. Mosquitoes nipped at Rayna's exposed skin. Mina, too, swatted the air. She turned to smack a large insect at the base of her neck, but lost her balance. She pitched forward, catching herself with her other leg, but the ground collapsed beneath her. With no time for anything but a startled gasp, Mina fell into the murky waters. Rayna grabbed a thorn bush to catch herself from falling as well.
“Mina!” Rayna rubbed her scratched hand. “Come on!” Silence lingered. Rayna stared at the opaque water. She groped its surface. It was much deeper than she had guessed. Already too much time had passed. Mina had to be either stuck or knocked out.
Rayna dove head first into the disgusting waters. She ignored the stinging grit, forcing her eyes open. Dark shadows of huge fish swam below her. Kicking hard, she forced her way toward a flailing shadow she took to be Mina. Rayna reached, her hand brushing Mina’s hair. She grabbed at Mina's coat, pulling. Mina grasped her arms, dragging her toward her leg. It was entangled in thick vegetation and mud from the bottom. Rayna's claws lengthened and tore at the mess of weeds. Mina’s leg pulled free, and together they battled upward toward the dim light. Rayna felt as if her lungs would explode and her eyes would burn to nothing. After several agonizing moments, the brown water gave way to delicious air.
Rayna pulled them both to the bank. They coughed up vile water before Mina managed to speak.
“Damn mosquitoes!”
Chapter Fifteen
Gar slid to a halt. They had run at top speed all day and had almost covered the twenty leagues that separated the Southern and Western Densites. Panting, he turned to the other two wolves flanking him.
Pike, Ash. Gar nodded first to the large black wolf then to the smaller gray one. We are making good time. We will arrive at the Western Densite before dark.
Pike stretched as Ash sat down, scratching his ear.
If you do not mind my asking, Alpha, what is that? Ash dipped his snout at the leather strap around Gar’s neck.
Those markings all around it are the seal of Wolnor, Pike said.
It was my cousin’s. She wanted me to have it. Yes, it is the seal of Wolnor.
Should we keep going? asked Ash.
Gar charged ahead, and the other two followed him. Before long, the trio entered a frenzied Western Densite that must have already heard of the imminent attack. Hundreds of Fenearens and True Wolves swarmed around the dens, carrying their belongings, talking to each other in high, panicked tones.
Where are the Alphen? Gar asked a Fenearen woman who cradled a newborn.
By the fire pit. She brushed past them. They followed her directions, soon finding the Fenearens they were seeking.
The Alphena was tall, with long golden-brown hair and blue eyes. Her mate was shorter, with coarse grayish hair. Both gave orders to nearby Fenearens.
Daria? Do you know what is coming? Gar looked up at the woman.
Aye. A girl from the Northeastern Densite escaped and warned us. Poor thing is traumatized, babbling about the Da’ Gammorn and the dead coming to life. Please tell me you have good news? The soft timbre of her voice was surprising when compared with her stature.
Yes, a relief force is on the way, said Gar, but Bayne and Silver encourage everyone to evacuate. Beta Roxen is bringing help.
They cannot stop them, Trentin, Daria growled to her mate.
She’s right, there’s no way—
We do not expect to win, said Pike.
Trentin paused, considering that. It’s time you’re after.
Is any amount of time worth risking more lives when we have already lost so many? Daria asked.
No. But there is no choice, Gar said, not meeting her gaze.
All right. We have a hundred of our own staying behind, and the rest are starting south. Trentin ran his hand through his hair. Daria will take the last group out.
She scrunched her nose. We never agreed on that.
With all due respect, Pike interrupted, most of us who stay will never leave. Alphena, I think you should go. While time is important, we need strong fighters like you in the main army.
Daria did not object. She turned to her mate and said something in Clanspeak that Gar and the other wolves could not understand.
Trentin responded in the same language. Tears formed in both their eyes, telling the three True Wolves the content of their conversation. They left the couple to their goodbye.
Is it really that bad? Ash asked.
Yes. Pike lifted his muzzle to scent the currents.
Gar followed suit, but his gaze remained on Ash. He was so young, too young to die in this war. But Ash had made his choice with the rest. Not that the cause was hopeless; the True Wolf strategy of fighting in fast moving groups always worked quite well. Moreover, the Fenearen forc
e, which he could smell approaching, had archers and many accomplished feral fighters. While the Maenorens had numbers and the Da’ Gammorn were indeed a challenge, there was no reason to give up hope. We will be all right, he told Ash.
Pike's eyes reflected doubts.
Yes, Pike, there is hope. Gar shook his head. Pike was sometimes too serious for his own good.
As you say, Alpha.
Ash, scout back to the Fenearens. Let them know the Maenorens have not yet arrived.
The skinny gray wolf nodded, exploding into motion and out of sight.
Roxen surveyed the force behind him. Everyone seemed to be keeping up well enough. If they maintained this pace, they would reach the Western Densite before dark, hopefully giving them time to prepare to head off the Maenoren army.
He cringed at the thought of the Northern and Northeastern Densites falling before help arrived. The Da' Gammorn terrified him. Roxen reminded himself of Cairn's message: the Da’ Gammorn could only be killed by piercing their hearts or decapitation. When he had asked his mother about it, she had said that legend told of the creatures, but that they were believed to be myth or exaggeration. According to the stories, however, a demon’s mark etched the heart and brain of the walking, possessed corpses, and by isolating or destroying the mark, the demons could be expelled.
Beta? Ash skidded toward him.
Report, Ash, Roxen commanded.
All is clear ahead. We are two leagues from the site. We should arrive in time to prepare for battle with the Maenoren scum.
Excellent. Slow your pace and get some rest.
Yes, Beta. Ash raised his left paw in the True Wolf salute and slowed to a walk.
Roxen looked over his troops. In the front, the archers marched in wolf form, their bows and quivers quaking on their shoulders. Behind them came the infantry, decked in Fenearen armor of heavy leather, so they could shift unencumbered. The True Wolves weaved in and out of the Fenearen forces, tails high, gazes intent. It was a fearsome image, but there were only three hundred Fenearens and a hundred Trues all together. It was all they could spare since Bayne and Silver needed the rest of the warriors to protect those refugees flooding into the Southern Densite. Roxen and his troops were a diversion meant to buy time. If Georg and Declan, who had two thousand highly trained warriors, had been unable to fight the Maenoren invaders, Roxen doubted they could. But they could slow them long enough for the others to retreat. Then the Maenorens would face the full Fenearen army. If the other evacuees throughout Fenear had reached the Southern Densite, Bayne and Silver would have an army of ten thousand Fenearen warriors and hunters, as well as the aid of a thousand True Wolves. The Maenorens' advantage lay in their surprise attack, but that would soon change.
Hex Breaker (The Fenearen Chronicles Book 1) Page 16