by Rachel Aaron
“I’m not lost,” Eli said sharply, turning around to face them. “We are exactly where we should be. And if the stories I’ve heard are correct, we shouldn’t be able to go much farther before our hosts find us.”
Josef opened his mouth to ask another question, but stopped midbreath. He dropped to a crouch, his hand flying to the hilt of the massive sword on his back. A second later, Nico heard it too, the faint crunch of something moving in the woods. Something large. She dropped to a crouch beside Josef, ignoring the protests of her aching legs. Looking around, she could see nothing but trees and stones and empty country, the same as she had seen for the past two days. But she knew something was there, a darker shadow beneath the shaggy pines, watching them. Beside her, she heard Josef draw the Heart. Off to her left, something growled.
“Ah,” Eli said brightly. “That would be them now.”
Nico watched wide-eyed as Eli trotted back down the hill and stopped with a grand bow, flourishing his hands dramatically. “Greetings, ancient guardians of the heights! I am Eli Monpress, and—”
“We know who you are,” a voice rumbled. “Get out. This is no place for humans.”
Nico swallowed as several more growls went up in agreement. She felt Josef shift, his muscles clenching. He might not be able to hear the voice, but the obvious threat in the rumbling sound from the shadows required no interpretation.
“Don’t be so hasty,” Eli said, putting up his hands. “I’m here on behalf of a mutual acquaintance, Heinricht Slorn.” A great round of growls went up at this, and Nico winced at the sound of claws scraping on frozen ground. Eli didn’t even blink. “I ask an audience with Gredit.”
For a moment, nothing happened, and then the trees around them began to rustle, and Nico pulled back as the source of the growls stepped into view. All around them, stepping out of trees and from behind stones, were enormous mountain bears. They moved in, yellow teeth bared and ready, shaking the snow off brown, furry shoulders that stood taller than Nico’s head. The bears stopped at the edge of the trees, growling and pawing the ground. Only one bear came closer, striding across the frozen stones until he was a few feet from Eli. When he was close enough to reach out and bat Eli across the face with his massive paw, the bear stopped and, far more gracefully than Nico could have imagined, stood up on his hind legs. Nico swallowed. The bear was ten feet tall at least, and from the way he glared down his silver-streaked muzzle at the thief, she didn’t doubt for a moment that he could crush Eli like a ripe berry if he wanted, and they all, especially the bears, knew it.
“You have a lot of nerve coming up here and saying that name,” the bear growled, brown eyes darting between Eli and Josef. “Tell the deaf one to put up his weapon.”
“It won’t matter if I tell him,” Eli said. “Josef does what he wants. However”—he leaned forward conspiratorially—“maybe if you weren’t giving him such reason to use it, he might put it up on his own.”
The large bear glared at Eli and then jerked his head. All around the circle, the bears backed away. Josef, well used to one-sided conversations, got the point and slowly slid the Heart back into its sheath.
Eli smiled at the bears. “Now,” he said, “about that audience?”
The lead bear dropped back on all fours. “If you want to talk with Gredit, we’ll take you there, but don’t expect to like what you hear. He doesn’t care much for your kind.”
“So I’ve heard,” Eli said. “But one takes the chances one must. Lead on.”
The bear gave him a final poison look and turned around, trotting off into the trees. As the other bears did the same, Eli turned to Josef and Nico. “Stay close,” he whispered.
“Right,” Josef said, easing his daggers in and out of his sleeves. “Close to the pack of enormous bears.”
“Never a boring moment,” Eli said with a grin before turning and jogging after the bear. Shaking his head, Josef followed. Nico stayed close behind, holding her coat tighter than ever.
The bears followed no path. They trundled straight across the mountainside, hopping easily over rocks and fallen trees. Nico had the suspicion that they did this on purpose, to make it hard for their human followers, but they had another thing coming if they thought they could slow down people who traveled with Eli Monpress with a little hazardous countryside. Nico, Josef, and Eli kept the pace, following the bears along the mountain ridge until they reached a narrow valley ringed on all sides by old, dark firs.
The bears slowed, picking their way down to the narrow, swift stream at the valley’s base. The air here was different than the slopes. It clung in the throat, wet and thick with the wild smell of pine and fur. The damp cold went straight through Nico’s coat, making her movements slow and clumsy. Fortunately, the bears stopped when they reached the water and turned upstream.
“There,” the largest bear said, looking over his shoulder at Eli.
They didn’t have to ask what he meant. Down by the water they could see what had been hidden by trees from above. Ten feet up the slope, nestled back in the gray stone of the mountain face, was a cave, and all around the cave were bears. Even Eli pulled back when he saw them. The bears were all different sizes and colors. Some were enormous and black, while others were smaller and honey brown. They sat in clusters, watching the intruders with cold, dark eyes.
“I didn’t bring you here to stare,” their guide rumbled. “Go and be done, or leave now.”
Eli gave the bear a smile, but even Nico could tell it wasn’t one of his best. The bear just turned away with a huff. Thoroughly dismissed, Eli started up the hill, Josef and Nico close behind him. The bears at the cave mouth didn’t move. They just watched as the humans scrambled up the muddy slope toward the cavern’s entrance. It was a large opening, three times Josef’s height and wide enough for four carts to drive abreast with space to spare, but the musty smell that drifted out of the dark, a potent mix of wild animal and old blood, was enough to give even Eli pause.
The moment they stopped, all the bears began to growl. Eli jumped at the sound and gave himself a shake. Then, with a dazzling smile at the rumbling bears, he marched into the cave as though he were entering a banquet where he was the guest of honor. Nico and Josef followed more cautiously. Once they were inside, the gray light faded. The cave only seemed to get bigger the deeper they went, and in the shadows Nico could make out more bears watching them as they stumbled across the uneven floor in the dark.
Fifty feet from its entrance, the cave ended abruptly in a slope of broken rocks, and sitting on the rocks like a king on his throne was the largest bear Nico had ever seen. He towered in the dark, lounging with his back against the broken stone. Even lying back, the bear was nearly fifteen feet tall, and almost as broad. His enormous paws, each large enough to crush Nico’s head like a walnut, rested on his monstrous stomach, the black claws moving slowly back and forth through his black, coarse fur.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Nico realized that the bear’s fur was actually more gray than black. His pelt was crisscrossed with thin patches where scars interrupted the growth of his coat, and one of his black eyes was silver with cataracts. But any illusion of age and weakness was dispelled when he bared his massive jaw full of yellow teeth in an expression that could have been a grin had it been less terrifying.
Undaunted, Eli stopped at the foot of the great bear’s slope and dropped a deep, formal bow. “Greetings, Gredit, eldest of all bears,” he said solemnly. “I am Eli Monpress, and I come before you to beg a boon for one of your—”
“I know who you are.”
Nico winced at the bear’s voice. It was deep enough to shake the stone below her feet, and full of anger.
Eli glanced up from his bow, and the bear gave him a nasty sneer.
“So,” Gredit rumbled. “The white bitch’s favorite has come to ask a boon from me. This is quite the turn.”
“Not for myself,” Eli said quickly. “I would never dream of troubling you for my own benefit. I’m here on behalf of our dear, mut
ual friend, Heinricht Slorn.”
The bear’s eyes, black and cloudy silver, narrowed. “And what would Slorn want of a lapdog like you?”
“He hasn’t had the chance to tell me,” Eli said, straightening up. “He’s gone missing.”
The bear made a horrible sound, like a growling cough, and it took Nico a terrifying moment to realize he was laughing.
“Now it comes together,” the bear said, still chuckling. “You want me to tell you where he is.”
“You are the Great Spirit of the northern bears,” Eli said simply. “It is within your power.”
“And what would a human know of my power?” the bear said. “We bears have been here as long as the mountains themselves, as long as the winds in the sky. What would you know of that?”
“Nothing at all,” Eli said. “But I’m not here for history. I’m here to learn what I need to know to save a friend. A mutual friend, unless I am sadly mistaken.”
Gredit gave him a long look. “We honor Slorn. Of all your kind, he was the only one who used your unnatural power over spirits to help us. But”—the bear growled at Eli’s growing smile—“that gratitude does not extend to you, little favorite.” The bear leaned back on his throne of crumbled boulders. “If you want our help, you’ll first have to prove what you are.”
“But you already know me,” Eli said. “You interrupted me to make that much clear.”
“Oh, I know you,” the bear said. “I’m no blind fool like your lot. But I want to see the proof for myself.” Gredit bared his teeth. “Show me her mark, or get out.”
Eli took a deep, frustrated breath. “Surely there’s another—”
A chorus of deep growls from all over the cave cut him off. Eli looked around with a grimace. “All right,” he said, shaking his head. “Get a good look. I’m only doing this once.”
Eli closed his eyes, and Nico gasped as a tremendous pressure swept over her, making every hair on her body stand on end. She wasn’t alone. All around them, the bears began to shuffle, grumbling and keening. The thief, however, stood perfectly still, feet spread, eyes closed, his face calm and untroubled as the pressure mounted. After a few seconds Nico could barely move, and yet, for some reason, she wasn’t afraid. There was something comforting about the pressure, something warm and familiar. And then she realized what was happening. Eli had opened his spirit. The pressure, the hot feel of familiarity pressing on her skin; it was Eli’s soul flung wide. Now that she knew what it was, she could almost feel its shape in the air. Eli’s soul filled the room, spreading in all directions, and everywhere it touched, spirits woke.
Even Josef saw it. He stood beside her, blades in hand, watching in amazement as the bears trembled. Trembled, and began to bow. And it wasn’t just the bears. All around them, the world was paying homage. The breeze from the mouth of the cave stilled. The stones rearranged themselves, tilting down and whispering obedience. Everything, from the lichen on the cave roof to the dirt on the floor, bowed down when Eli’s spirit touched it, and though Nico did not understand why, she could feel it too. Deep inside, deeper even than the demonseed, something called for her to show obedience. The urge was so strong that she found her eyes had lowered without her knowing, and try as she might, she could not raise them again.
Of every spirit in the room, only the great bear seemed unaffected. He watched from his throne, his massive head rested on one oversized paw, perfectly still, even as the stone he sat on fought to bow down. Just before the force became unbearable, he raised his head. “Enough.”
Eli’s eyes opened and the pressure vanished. All around the cave, bears pushed back to their feet. A few began to growl, but most stayed silent, their dark eyes fixed on Eli, their haunches lowered reverently.
Up on his seat, the great bear sighed. “I see the mark of the favorite is as powerful as ever. The Shepherdess’s touch is laid strong on you. How strange, then, that she would let such a bright treasure run around loose.”
“I’m no treasure,” Eli said. “I am myself and no other. Now”—he folded his arms over his chest—“I’ve done as you asked. Tell me where Slorn is.”
The bear laughed. “Your display may have awed my children. They are too young to see past the Shepherdess’s glamors. I, however, am too old to be much impressed with such theatrics. I have seen many favorites, after all.”
“Then why did you make me do it?” Eli’s voice was angrier than Nico had heard it in a long time.
“To get her attention,” the bear answered, growling so low the stone vibrated under their feet. “She may let you run wild through her creation, but I’d bet my fur she’s always got an eye on you. After that display, I know for certain she’s watching very closely. Good. I want her to hear what I have to say.”
He eyed Eli hungrily. “I am the lord of bears, favorite. It is my purpose to protect my children. I feel every creature of my blood as though they were my own flesh, and I protect them with tooth and claw. So it has always been since before the Powers were born. Before the Shepherdess or the Weaver or the Hunter. Yet, look at me.” He ran his paw across his silvered coat. “For the first time since the beginning of creation, I grow old and weak. My sight dims and my claws grow dull. I fear I am dying.” The bear drew a deep breath. “I do not expect a human to understand. Your kind die like flies. But I am no mere flesh creature. Of all Great Spirits, I am one of the oldest. I was created by the Creator to be the guardian of all bears. So long as they thrive, I thrive. Yet here I am, old and weak. What does this mean for my children?”
Eli started to say something, but the bear kept going. “Every year my bears grow smaller, stupider, and weaker,” he growled. “The mountains, our neighbors and friends since time began, sleep and do not wake while the dark hunger they were assigned to guard sends its seeds into the world unhindered and unchecked.”
Nico swallowed and pulled herself deeper than ever into her coat.
“But I am a Great Spirit,” the bear went on. “I do my duty. All of this I brought to the Lady’s attention again and again, but I never heard a word back from her. For years this went on, and not knowing what to do, we kept living as we always had. Then the darkness took one of my greatest sons.”
All around the room, the bears bowed their heads in sadness. “Gredeth,” they rumbled.
“Yes, Gredeth.” The great bear’s voice was thick with loss. “Greatest bear of his generation. It was Gredeth who found the human wandering in our woods, its soul already half eaten by a seed of the thing that lives below the Dead Mountain.” The bear made a disgusted sound. “Blindness and power are a reckless combination, and putting them together in one creature was the Shepherdess’s greatest folly. The blind human, infected and mad, wandered into our territory, and brave Gredeth did what needed to be done. He fought the monster and won, devouring it so the black seed would not destroy our lands. But his bravery was his undoing. The seed survived the devouring and took root in Gredeth himself.”
The great bear’s good eye grew sad and distant. “I could do nothing,” he rumbled. “I tried. I sent word to the Shepherdess. I threw away my pride. I begged, human. Begged her for aid as I have never done before, and received nothing. Gredeth continued to decline. The seed ate him until he was only a shell. That was when Slorn appeared. He was wise for a human, and very knowledgeable about the ways of the demon. We put our trust in him, but Gredeth was too far gone, and in the end, all Slorn managed was to slow the seed’s growth.”
The bear heaved a great sigh. “I was grateful that the human had tried and bade him go with my thanks. But Slorn had not given up. He proposed a radical plan. He would take what was left of Gredeth into himself. Just as he mixed metals, he would meld human and bear spirits into a new soul. I would have forbade it, but Gredeth asked me to change my mind. He wanted to live, proud bear, not die to the hungry dark. With no answer still from the White Lady, I did what I deemed best. I helped Slorn take Gredeth’s soul and body into his own. The result was neither man nor bear, but
he was Gredeth just as much as he was Slorn, and my dear son still to this day.”
The bear’s voice faded to a low rumble as the story ended, and the cave fell silent. In the stillness, Eli stepped forward. “If that’s how you feel,” he said softly, “help me help him. Tell me where he is.”
The great bear’s glare grew cold as iced stone. “I will help you on one condition. You, the favorite, must call Benehime down. The great Shepherdess was deaf to my begging. Now let’s see if her deafness extends to you. Call her and ask, favorite, why, if she is guardian of all spirits, does she not kill the thing under the mountain? Why does she allow her world to stagnate unattended while she wastes her time with favorites? Why did she create humans and give them power over every true spirit, yet make them so blind they can do nothing but fight and enslave the world around them?”
With a great creaking of bones, the lord of bears stood up, towering over them. “Bring her down to finally answer for her negligence!” he roared. “I will not cower before her as all the others do! Call her down, favorite! Bring her before me and I will make her answer!”
His booming voice rang through the cave, and all the bears began to cower. Nico felt like cowering as well. She could feel the ancient Great Spirit’s anger in her bones. Yet Eli did not step back. He just stood there, looking the raging bear straight in the face as he spoke one word.
“No.”
The great bear’s snarl shook the stone, but Eli did not move.
“I am no one’s dog,” Eli said. “I’m the greatest thief in the world. Benehime may call me her favorite, but that was her choice. My life is my own, not hers, and not yours. I sympathize with your plight, I really do, and I hope you get the chance to call her out for every spirit she’s ignored. But you’ll have to find someone else to tempt her down because I won’t ask her for anything ever again.”
The bear sat down again with a great crash. “Then find Slorn yourself.”
“Come on,” Eli said, a little more desperately. “You just said Slorn was like your son. How—”