Jereth ran his hand through his short hair. "I've spoken to some of those who were working in the area, and we believe Dunder was right. Three rotclaws entered the caves."
Garvan looked confident, but all of the color seemed to have been drained from Dale's face. He blinked, and Flynn grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him, a broad grin on his face.
"Cheer up, man. We haven't even got to the good part yet." Flynn let go of him. "Jereth, tell him about the claws."
Jereth didn't seem to share Flynn's amusement. He cleared his throat. "Rotclaws are well named. They don't kill their prey by going for the throat like a forest lion. Instead, they are happy to inflict a wound and let their prey bleed out." Dale swallowed and the warm flush drained from Ordella's face. "Their claws are coated with a sap-like oil. If they catch you with them, the skin around the slash will turn bright red, and your blood will flow freely from the wound. It's almost impossible to staunch the bleeding."
"In short," Flynn said, "if one of the bastards gets you, you're pretty much buggered." He eyed all of them. "So let's take them down before they get close enough to use their claws."
"One more thing you need to know," Jereth said. "They are good climbers. If they've made it to the main chamber, and I'm assuming they have, they'll be able to climb the shelves we've built. Make sure to check up high. We don't want them jumping down on us in the darkness."
Ordella shuddered. She clenched her fist around the handle of her bow. Jereth had put his trust in her, and she wasn't going to let him down.
About fifty paces from the mouth of the cave, Jereth stopped and took a steel and flint from his pack. He placed the unlit torches he was holding on the grass, knelt down beside them and struck some sparks. The cloth twisted around the top of the nearest torch ignited almost immediately. He used the flame from the first torch to light the second one.
"I don't think the rotclaws will be in the passageway. They're much more likely to be in the chamber itself, but let's not take any chances."
He passed one of the flaming torches to Dale. "I will enter first with Garvan," he said. "Dale and Flynn will follow. Ordella, you will go in last."
He turned to Dale. "When we're in the passageway, light all of the wall torches on the left. I'll do the same on the right."
The color had mostly returned to the young man's face. He nodded.
"When we get to the main chamber, we're going to have to be prepared to deal with whatever is before us, but ideally I'd like to get as many of the torches lit in there as we possibly can. Dale, Flynn will cover you, and Garvan will cover me."
Ordella looked at Jereth.
"And me?" she said. "What shall I do?"
"I want you to stand near the chamber entrance, between Flynn and Garvan. I need you to be another pair of eyes. Shout out what you see. That goes for all of you." He looked at each of them in turn. "Keep talking. They're going to know we're there anyway, so I want to know if you spot something."
Flynn smoothed his beard.
"Let's make these bastards sorry they ever thought about stepping inside our cave," he said. A broad grin spread across his ruddy face.
Ordella's stomach churned, and her hands had begun to shake. She gripped her bow and gritted her teeth.
"You'll do fine," Flynn said, nocking an arrow to his bowstring.
Ordella nodded to him and forced a smile. Flynn didn't seem at all concerned about the rotclaws. Going by his demeanor, you'd never have guessed he was about to walk towards three animals who could rip you open with a single swipe of their paws. What she'd have given for a dash of his confidence.
The cave mouth loomed in front of them, dark and foreboding, like something out of the fairy tales her father used to tell her. The back of her neck was clammy, and the skin under her tunic was slick. Jereth and Garvan walked between two huge wooden pillars that had been dug into the sides of the cave to shore up the entrance. Dale and Flynn followed close behind.
Ordella took a deep breath and stepped beyond the cave's threshold. There was no turning back now.
The passageway was bigger than she'd imagined. It was easily wide enough for two to walk abreast, and she would only be able to reach the roof if she stretched up her arms and stood on tiptoe. More wooden posts lined the corridor, tree truck thick and stretching from floor to ceiling. They were linked to each other with ropes the thickness of her wrists, threaded through metal loops.
"It's hard to believe that there are gigantic boulders above us just waiting to come crashing down," Flynn said, turning around.
"What do you mean?" Ordella said.
He tapped one of the timber posts with his knuckle. "These posts," he said, "are all that's stopping the roof from collapsing." He flicked his head back in the direction of the village. "It was Lera's idea. If it's no longer safe for us in the village, we'll come here, haul on these ropes and seal off the entrance."
"But won't you then be trapped?" she asked. "How would you escape?"
"We've got enough supplies in the chamber to last us months." He leaned in closer. "Besides, there's another passageway that leads in and out. It's a bit of a squeeze mind, only barely enough room for one person at a time, but it will be our way out once the coast is clear."
The passageway up ahead suddenly became visible. Jereth and Dale took a step back from the now blazing wall torches, and Ordella peered past them, studying the illuminated corridor for any signs of the rotclaws. There was no movement, but a musky rotten-fish smell wafted towards her.
Beyond the light of the torches, a pitch black void yawned at the end of the corridor. The entrance to the main chamber. Above the opening, rocks hung down in jagged points, like sharp teeth, as if the cave was giving them a hint of what they'd find within. Ordella adjusted her grip on the bow, her heart thumping in her chest.
Jereth raised his hand, signaling the group to a halt. He lit the next pair of wall torches, one on either side of the chamber opening. The light from the flames pushed against the darkness, and the visible area seeped a little bit beyond the doorway into the chamber itself.
"They're in there somewhere," Jereth said. "Keep your wits about you."
With his torch in his right hand and his bow in his left, Jereth strode into the room. Garvan, an arrow poised on his bowstring, followed just a step behind. They veered to the right, and then Dale and Flynn moved in, heading left.
Flynn wasn't joking. The chamber was packed floor to roof with everything the village would need to weather a siege. Massive wooden racks held vast piles of neatly folded blankets, and stacks of mugs and plates. Barrels, crates, and wooden boxes were piled against the walls as far as Ordella could see.
How in all Ellusia were they going to be able to spot a rotclaw in here? There were too many hiding places.
"Any sign of them?" It was Jereth's voice from the right of the chamber.
"Nothing yet," Garvan replied.
Ordella scanned the gloom beyond the fringes of Jereth's blazing torch. No shining eyes. No signs of movement in the shadows. But the pungent odor was much more intense, hitting the back of her throat and filling her lungs.
She turned to the other side of the room. Dale skirted the edge of a large chest. The wall sconce was just above him, carved into the cavern wall and crammed full of tinder and sticks of drowel. He thrust his torch up, and the dry wood ignited in a burst of orange.
Something glinted to the left. "There!" she shouted to the men in front of her. Ahead of Dale and Flynn a pair of glowing gold orbs shone in the dark. "Far left corner."
"I see them," Flynn said. "You see them too, Dale?"
Dale said something that Ordella didn't catch. The light in front of him flickered then shifted its position as he propped the torch against the wall. He nocked an arrow to his bow and drew back the string.
The chamber suddenly became brighter. Jereth must have reached the first sconce on his side, but Ordella didn't turn around. Instead, she focused on the rotclaw's shimmering eyes. It didn't se
em to be moving towards them, but it obviously wasn't scared of them either. It made no attempt to run and hide.
"Wait for a good shot," Flynn said. "Stay calm."
Dale didn't reply.
"Dale? Did you hear me? I said wait for the right shot."
Ordella detected a trace of panic in Flynn's voice.
The twang of a bowstring reverberated off the cavern walls, closely followed by the sound of an arrow skittering across the stone floor at the back of the chamber.
The yellow eyes moved upwards as if the beast had raised itself up onto its feet. The glittering circles loomed larger with each beat of Ordella's heart.
"It's heading this way," she said.
Flynn stepped towards Dale. "You fool," he said. "Make the next arrow count."
Dale fumbled another arrow onto the string. Flynn moved forwards, shunting Dale over towards the wall and took up position next to him. He nocked an arrow of his own and leveled his bow at the advancing beast.
"Wait," he said. "Wait for my signal."
The rotclaw bounded towards them, its reflective eyes bobbing like lanterns on a ferryboat.
"Now!" shouted Flynn.
He loosed his arrow into the gloom, and Dale did the same. Ordella followed the arrows in the torchlight until they were engulfed by the darkness. She held her breath and strained her ears over the drumming of her pulse.
A feral yelp was followed by a series of snarls that soon gave way to a whimpering mew, and then silence. The shining circles flickered, then they went out for good.
"That showed him." Flynn grinned, his teeth glistening in the torchlight. "Get behind me, Dale."
Leaving the spluttering torch propped against the cave wall, Dale turned his back to the darkness and stepped towards Flynn.
A snarl rang out from above them. A rotclaw launched itself from the top shelf of a wooden rack, sending boxes of supplies and pottery crashing to the floor.
"Look out!" Ordella shouted, but Dale didn't have time to react.
The animal slammed into him, the claws of its hind legs ripping the backs of his knees. He let out a gut-wrenching scream and sprawled face-first into Flynn, his bow falling from his hand.
The rotclaw pressed its advantage. It raised up its front-right paw and brought it down onto Dale's side, pinning him to the floor. Then it scythed across Dale's back with its left, slicing through his leather armor and cleaving the flesh below like a dagger-sharp plow furrowing a field.
Dale shrieked and crumpled to the floor, his gaping back a ruby puddle.
The rotclaw didn't stop. It pounded into Flynn, forcing him to take a step back.
Ordella dodged to avoid him. She raised her bow and took a breath. She was only going to get one shot at this.
The rotclaw let out a snarl and swiped at Flynn. The big man swayed to his right. The beast's talons missed his head, but caught him on the shoulder, tearing a savage track down onto his chest and bicep. He bellowed and stumbled to his knees.
Now was her chance.
The rotclaw stepped over to Flynn, it's head lowered. He shuffled back, and Ordella took aim. She released her grip on the arrow, but just before it left the bow, her bootheel slipped on something slick coating the floor. She jerked back and managed to keep her balance, but the arrow dipped. It grazed the side of the beast’s cheek, then ricocheted into the chamber's wall.
The rotclaw howled and gnashed its jagged teeth, then it leapt towards her. Another arrow was in her hand, but it was no use. She'd run out of time. In a heartbeat, savage claws would tear her to shreds. She'd told Jereth she wasn't ready. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the fatal blow.
A howl echoed through the chamber. Then something slammed against the cavern floor by her feet. Ordella opened her eyes. The beast was lying crumpled on the ground. An arrow fletched in gold was embedded feathers-deep in its right eye.
Jereth pushed past her and knelt down next to Dale. He put his fingers to the man's neck and shook his head.
"He's gone," he said.
Flynn let out a moan. He lay face-up in a pool of blood.
Jereth shuffled over to him.
"There's one more of them out there," he said. "Garvan, cover me. I'm going to try and bind his wounds."
Jereth fixed Ordella with a stare. "I need you to cover our right."
She swallowed, her head spinning. Her heart hammered so hard that her whole body seemed to lurch with every beat.
"Ordella!" He was almost shouting now. "Ordella! You can do this. I need you to do this."
The desperation in his voice snapped her to attention. She took a deep breath and nodded. She nocked the arrow that was still in her hand and stepped over to the right of the chamber.
She crept forwards past a large barrel piled high with wooden crates. She stopped and scanned the blackness. Nothing.
Holding her breath, she listened. Apart from Flynn's labored breathing, all was silent. Then she saw it. Flashes of gold to the rear of the chamber like glittering stars in the night sky. The rotclaw's eyes moved from left to right as if it were pacing the back wall. It didn't appear to know she was there.
Shouting to the others was out of the question. Any sound now might make it slink back into the gloom, or worse still, charge towards her.
She straightened her bow arm and drew back the string, the arrow poised across her chest. This might be the best look she was going to get. Ordella took a breath and let fly. A welp pierced the quiet, quickly followed by footsteps behind her.
Garvan ran to her side.
"There," he said. "It's turned this way. Against the side wall." Ordella peered into the darkness. Two eyes stared back at her. Her arrow hadn't been enough to take it down.
"It's coming," Garvan said.
Ordella turned to him. Garvan was saying something else, his lips were moving but the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears drowned out his words. The rotclaw moved into the torchlight, its glossy black pelt glistening like polished jet. Hunched low, it stalked forward, hugging the wall.
Another arrow was on her bowstring.
Just like throwing a stone. Jereth's words filled her mind. Don't think about it, just act.
She took a breath and pictured her arrow hitting the target. She raised the bow and in the same motion let her arrow fly. The shaft traveled straight and true, striking the beast in the corner of its left eye. The rotclaw whimpered and slumped against the wall. Then its head lolled, and it collapsed onto the floor.
Ordella let out a long breath, her bow falling to her side. A strong arm gripped her around the shoulder.
Eighteen
"I think that's the last of them," Garvan said. "I can't see any more eyes out there. But stay alert all the same." He let his arm drop from her shoulder and turned to face her. "You did well."
Ordella didn't respond. Her eyes were focused on Dale, or what was left of him.
Lying face down on the ground, his back was a ribboned mess of flesh and bone and blood. So much blood. It puddled around his body like a crimson lake. The body of the rotclaw that had taken his life lay by his side, a hulking mass of muscle and jet black fur.
Flynn was slumped to the right of the beast, and Jereth knelt down next to him, securing a bandage across the man's broad chest.
Ordella took a breath. Within seconds the cloth had turned from white to red.
Jereth stood up and rubbed his eyes.
"I've done what I can," he said. "Garvan, go and find Krafe. Bring him here. Perhaps he'll be able to do something more."
Flynn stirred. "Don't," he said. His voice was thin and strained. "It's too late." His face was now bone white. "Don't let me die here." He coughed and strands of blood-flecked phlegm streaked his thick copper beard. "I don't want it to end in a bloody cave that smells of cat's piss. Get me outside. I need to see the trees. I need to look upon Oakhaven one last time."
Jereth nodded.
Between the three of them, they managed to raise Flynn's massive frame from t
he ground and lever him to his feet. With Jereth to his right, Garvan to his left and Ordella supporting from behind, Flynn took a few shuffling steps out of the chamber and into the corridor. They paused for a few moments by the first pair of wooden support pillars, then continued on.
With about twenty yards to go, Flynn started to cry out with every step. Ordella moved from behind to stand facing him. She grasped his hand, but he didn't seem to notice her touch. The skin of his palm was moist and hot.
His teeth were bared and his jaws clamped together. His face contorted with every stride. He wasn't going to make it.
Garvan and Jereth stopped and adjusted the positions of their supporting arms.
"Keep going, you fools." Flynn snarled. His voice had been stripped of all its richness. "Don't stop."
Jereth and Garvan took more of Flynn's weight, nearly heaving him off his feet. They quickened their pace and soon emerged from the gloom into the light of the clearing. Ordella blinked, her eyes adjusting to the brightness.
They lowered Flynn to the ground and propped him up against the trunk of a young sanctuary oak, his legs stretched out in front of him. He gazed forward in the direction of the village, then tilted his head up and stared at the branches of the trees. A long breath escaped his lips.
With a nod from Jereth, Garvan sprinted off towards the center of Oakhaven.
Ordella bent down next to Flynn and held his left hand in hers. His grip was weak. Jereth tightened Flynn's sodden bandage. Blood continued to flow freely, and the earth at the base of the tree was already soaked, as if its roots were drawing blood from Flynn's body down into the soil.
She bit her lip. Unless the bleeding stopped soon, he wasn't going to last much longer. Ordella glanced at Jereth, but he looked down and wouldn't catch her eye.
Flynn's skin was becoming increasingly pallid and waxy, just like her grandmother's had been just before she died. Ordella swallowed, a lump forming in the back of her throat. She squeezed his hand more tightly. The end wasn't far away.
Flynn coughed. He raised his hand and put it on Jereth's arm, pulling him closer.
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