by V C Sanford
Rhianwen turned to run, knowing it was already too late. Her father had spoken of Dire-warrgs, describing them as devil’s spawn. They were distantly related to wolves but were intelligent and much, much larger. The reality was much worse. Even young and half-starved pups were much bigger than she’d imagined---and much faster.
She screamed as one young male drove his teeth into her calf, the flesh tearing from the weight of the warrg as she tumbled and rolled, a rolling, sliding kind of tumble that stopped as her body slammed into one of the large rocks scattered across the dry creek bed. She heard her left arm snap, followed by a sharp pain and a rush of warm blood. One scrawny warrg sensed her weakness and rushed in, certain of an easy kill. She kicked out at the warrgs head, landing a solid blow that seemed to daze him, allowing her to a chance to limp away.
Searching desperately for anything she could use to defend herself, she finally spotted a jagged stone that looked small enough for her to hold, but still large enough to use as a weapon. Grateful to be right-handed, she swung, landing a clean blow to the crown of the warrgs head, splitting the skin around his eye. Blindly she continued, swinging wildly until tiny slivers of bone protruded from the injured socket. Half blinded by blood and in severe pain, the defeated pup snapped uncertainly once more, deciding it was better to relinquish the hunt and hope to share his parent’s kill.
Rhianwen didn’t wait for him to change his mind. With her calf injured, she couldn’t run and her left arm had long since gone numb. It was a bad break, the shattered bone protruding through the skin and she was losing a lot of blood. She needed to find a safe place to rest and pray. Maxx had mentioned a small cave about a quarter of a mile back along the trail, marking it as a possible location to camp. If she could reach it, she was certain the others would be able to find her once they began their search. Gritting her teeth against the pain radiating down her leg as she stood, she began to move away from the feasting animals, beseeching Rheaaz to let the meat last until she reached shelter.
*********
Rhianwen lay slightly inside the opening to the small cave, concentrating on any movement she could still make out against the rapidly darkening landscape. Tatrias had set long ago, and while Fariki was still visible, the twin sun was only a slim red sliver of color against the starless backdrop. It would be at least an hour before Pheros rose into the southern sky, offering its dim but welcome light to the bitter darkness. Unconsciously she rubbed her left arm, an occasional twinge of pain and the new pink scar her only physical reminder of how close she had come to seeing Rheaaz face to face.
The others were alive and just as she expected, they were slowly making their way toward the cave. She was lucky to have noticed them, the wind had been blowing steadily for several hours, an eerie whistle that covered any sounds the travelers might have been making as they inched their way along the deserted streambed. Maxx was leading, with Alex and Nikiva following close behind. Tweet had returned from one of his numerous forays and was now fluttering anxiously over Nikiva’s head. One of the pair was hurt, how badly she couldn’t tell, but their erratic movements, coupled with the way they braced their bodies against each other, was evidence of some type of injury. The dense brush along the path obscured them from view as she was about to call out to them. Fortunately, it didn’t hide the three grey shadows that appeared just as they entered the remains of an old slide near the canyon wall. She whistled, and Maxx looked up.
Nikiva slipped and fell amongst the scattered rocks. Struggling once more to her feet, she guiltily signaled her need for a rest… and soon. Her breath came in ragged gasps and her calves burned from the stress of maintaining the constant pace. She was distraught over Rhianwens death, but she never complained, even when Alex told her they had to keep walking.
Maxx was unable to keep the fear he felt from showing on his face. He no longer felt individual pains, instead, it was one continuous ache that prevented him from concentrating. Breathing deeply, he slowly regained some measure of control. Every second they wasted resting cut into their meager lead, allowing the warrgs another opportunity to attack. He knew they wouldn’t be able to continue much longer, the terrain offered little respite from the weather, which seemed to grow worse by the moment. Unless they found a defendable shelter, and soon, the weather would provide the warrgs with a ready source of fresh frozen meat. He’d noticed at least four of the oversized canines pacing them as they walked along the trail, glimpsing one dark form moving along the canyon rim, then another. The rim sloped gradually downward, there had to be a way to the canyon floor somewhere nearby. Despite his warm clothing, he could still feel the chilled sweat running down his back. He remembered a small cave in the ridgeline about a mile out from the shattered bridge. It was as likely a bolt hole as they were going to find, the opening high above the trail, in a spot that would be difficult for the warrgs to reach.
Mechanically he stretched out his fingers, each muscle’s response the perfect combination of strength and dexterity developed through years of evolution. Great idea hands, they leveled the playing field. He often wondered whether this was due to random chance or some divine beings’ grand design. But at least he could still hold onto his axe. Nikiva and Maxx were both in bad shape and getting worse by the minute. Both had lost a good bit of blood, Alex could barely grip his sword and Nikiva’s leg was in tattered strips. This cave might be their only chance of survival. Then a sharp whistle broke the silence… and the warrgs attacked.
*********
“Go, Maxx shouted, I’ll be right behind you. Run for the side of the canyon, there’s a narrow ledge about six feet up the face that leads to that cave we talked about this morning. I don’t know how she survived… but Rhianwen’s inside. She can help you up to the opening.”
He knew their only chance was convincing the warrgs they were all still moving along the dry creek bed. Once he heard Nikiva cry out in pain, followed by Alex swearing loudly. Hopefully, she had simply bumped a boulder in the dark as they made their way through the rubble near the side wall and safety.
Maxx began his own retreat, moving slowly in the same direction Alex and Nikiva had traveled to reach the ledge. He was armed and lightly injured, but that hardly mattered. The warrgs outnumbered him, were stronger and better positioned. Somewhere in the darkness was the main pack, the others were scattered along the rocky terrain. The ones on the rim didn’t matter, it was the ones he couldn’t see that determined his fate. Chances were he’d not live to reach the bolt hole. At any moment the pack might decide to attack, and that was the most compelling motive to keep moving he could think of. A slight glimpse of movement was all the warning he received.
With a howl and a flash of long white teeth, the first warrg attacked. Maxx somehow managed to raise his axe, the charging warrgs momentum driving the sharp spike that adorned the poll into its own chest. He fell against one rock, turned and stumbled over a second, falling to his knees and somehow avoiding the leap of the second predator…but not the third. The black female was smaller and faster. She managed to drive her teeth through the tough leather gauntlet into his forearm.
Maxx screamed. His fingers went numb and he lost his grip on the heavy axe which fell at his feet in the snow. He stayed on his feet, somehow managing to draw his long knife from his belt with his left hand before driving it upward into the females’ chest and into her heart. He swayed, weak and delirious from loss of blood, struggling to keep his mind from drifting into unconsciousness as shock overcame his body. Then he felt something touch his shoulder.
********
Alex rose from behind a nearby boulder, driving his sword into the body of the returning grey male before it realized he was there. The black was still alive but dying. No animal should be forced to endure that kind of pain, he used his knife to end her suffering. For now, Maxx was safe.
“Alex…” Maxx whispered. “I’m done for…I’m dying.”
“No Maxx, I won’t let you do that. I know it hurts, but you’re going to
have to walk now. You can’t give up. Let me help you.” Alex sheathed his sword, then, with one arm supporting his friend, the other carrying Maxx’s precious axe, the two boys stumbled thru the darkness to the safety of the cave.
Chapter 13
“They’re still out there.”
“I’d hoped they would have given up by now,” Alex replied guiltily. “I was supposed to relieve you, why’d you let me sleep?”
“To be honest, I must have passed out. I recall thinking I needed a drink of water, then I was waking up alongside the girls. I don’t remember moving.” Maxx stretched, wincing at the slight ache still present in his right shoulder, he’d almost been the main course on some half-starved warrgs dinner menu. He rubbed his neck uneasily, fingering the freshly healed ridge of skin that was all that remained of the nasty gashes. They’d all need to drop a few coins in the tithe box next time they were near Rheaaz’s temple. Somehow Rhianwen had managed to not only heal his wounds---something only a high-level cleric should’ve been able to do--- she’d healed him without leaving scars. In fact, one or two of the scars he’d received from an earlier injury were also missing.
His gaze ranged over the nearby landscape, spotting and mapping the position of three more of the warrgs. Despite their position of relative safety above the restless pack, the exhausted group realized their hideaway was far from idyllic. For one thing, the warrgs were not going away anytime soon. Dire-warrgs were intelligent animals, and they knew their prey would either risk leaving the safety of the cave or die of thirst or starvation. Often the vindictive animals would maintain a rotating vigil, taking turns to hunt or seek water. They seemed to enjoy knowing the trapped adventurers were suffering within their chosen prison. It became a contest to see which would happen first, the warrgs would grow bored and leave or the prey would make a rash attempt to escape the trap. These warrgs didn’t seem bored.
Earlier a few of the more aggressive males managed to leap from one of the nearby boulders to an irregular ledge below the entrance of the cave, however, after a couple of half-hearted attempts, they determined there was no way for them to maneuver on the narrow span. All the angry pack could do was pace back and forth below the opening and howl in frustration.
Ideal or not, the small cave offered a welcome respite from the inclement weather. Rhianwen had managed to save her backpack so they weren’t hungry, however, the only water they had was from the small bola Alex carried on his belt. Even with rationing, it wouldn’t last more than a day. They had flint, but nothing to burn, one blanket, and a candle.
Nikiva stroked the furry Mir-cat fondly, her nimble fingers enticing a low rumbling purr of appreciation. She’d awakened to find the adventurous Tweet in his usual spot, curled beneath her blanket, his head nestled comfortably against her chest. He was evidently unharmed but exhausted after his late-night foray into the tiny fissure at the rear of the cavern. Despite the icy weather outside, the interior was comfortable, in fact, Nikiva was convinced that there was a warm breeze coming thru Tweet’s crevice.
“Alright”, Alex grumbled after she mentioned it for the third time. “I’ll check it out.” He noticed the smile of approval on Nikiva’s face. A hundred thoughts raced through his mind, each one centering on the young mage. Several of them would have gotten him slapped…or worse.
The crack was too narrow for any of them, however, the scratches around the opening showed something had passed through it, and recently. There was no sign of Tweet, he was the likely culprit, he’d noticed the cub had vanished once again.
He tossed a pebble as far as possible into the crevice. There was no sound to show he’d hit anything. If it wasn’t Tweet, then whatever laired inside was either not at home, or too far back for the stone to disturb it.
“A least we won’t freeze,” he noted wryly.
Maxx nodded. “It’s clear we won’t be leaving the cave any time soon, at least not the way we came in. There’s a good possibility the fissure opens into another cavern. I can try to enlarge the opening. Something’s got that flying mousetraps attention, let’s go see what it is.”
********
We’ve got a problem, and a serious one,” Alex stated flatly.” Dire-warrgs are more intelligent than grey-warrgs. I’ve heard they are vindictive. These certainly seem determined to starve us out. That might be a problem, except we’re going to die of thirst long before we run out of food. Maxx thinks there might be another way out. Tweet keeps disappearing into the slit at the back of this cave. I noticed that he returned through the cave entrance.”
“It’d be worth our time to open up the crack, Maxx added. With both of us digging, we double the chances of reaching a secondary cave, possibly one with an exit we can all fit through. Even if there’s no other exit, we might get lucky and find water.”
Whatever you think is best is fine with me. It will give Rhianwen more time to rest. I’ll meditate and study a few of the defensive spells in my spellbook.” Of course, they may not work. First-year students rarely get to do anything except elementary cantrips, I can make fire, levitate small objects, or make a light. She knew her meager knowledge might make the difference between life and death, so she focused her mind and concentrated until she was certain she could recall each spell if needed. The day ahead was filled with many possibilities, some of which were dangerous and quite terrifying.
“Where’s the little rat now,” Maxx asked. “One minute he’s here, the next he’s gone.”
“He’s not a rat and you shouldn’t make fun of him, he’s more like a cat anyway.”
“Fly ‘in cat, fly ‘in rat, not much difference. All it does is eat and sh--.”
“That’s enough Maxx!” Alex interrupted before he managed to get both girls upset. “Leave Nikiva alone, she loves Tweet. The Mir-cat may have saved us all if we can locate the way he is getting out of the cave. You know as well as I, we wouldn’t have considered that tiny crack if he hadn’t checked it out.”
Maxx grunted. There was no doubt in his mind that their only possibility of escape was waiting beyond the rock wall. He just wished he felt better about their chances. “You can sit here like old ladies and debate our options, … I’m going to knock down a wall.”
Maxx studied the back wall, raised his axe, and swung. The blow landed solidly, breaking a chunk of rock about the size of his fist away from the cracked face. Two more blows offered similar results. There might be a room behind the cave wall, but the rock surrounding it was solid. It wasn’t going to be as easy, nevertheless, he felt an eagerness that he’d forgotten as he dug into the unyielding surface. This was what he’d been born to do! His clan was miners and metalsmiths, and he’d not realized how much he missed it until now. His axe spike wasn’t the ideal tool, but he could make it work. Whistling jauntily, he swung again.
********
Alex had to admit he was impressed by his friends’ skill and ability. Maxx had widened the tiny crack, now there was an opening large enough for any of them to crawl through. He was impatient to see where the newly discovered passage would lead. Warm air now flowed freely through the much wider opening, and he could smell a slight but distinctive sulfur odor. Maxx had disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel to make a brief examination of the nearby area before the others entered. The girls had packed what little remained of their equipment and were now feeding bits of leftovers to the ever-ravenous Mir-dragon. He was curious about what they were whispering but knew neither would give him a straight answer if he asked.
The sound of stones falling against a hard surface followed by a second, much louder thud deep in the dark recesses of the new cavern drew his attention away from his musing. What now?
********
Maxx blinked once…then blinked again. Where was he? The strident bray of Alex’s laughter was followed by the equally shrill tone of Nikiva’s sharp retort. Alex would think his fall amusing. Apparently, neither girl shared his point of view. Totally oblivious to the bedlam he’d created the Mir-cat was perched i
n the middle of his chest, calmly playing a game of cat and mouse with his nose. After one particularly sharp claw swipe, Maxx tossed the kitten toward the rear of the cave. Several sharp pains instantly reminded him of the thirty-foot drop, followed by the graceless flat back landing he’d recently experienced. Rhianwen pushed a stray lock of hair from Maxx’s face, noting how pale the usually robust Duaar appeared. Alex shouldn’t laugh, Maxx has twice the guts and three times your brains… usually. Climbing that rope without help was reckless but it could have been worse. At least he landed on sand.
“What happened”, Nikiva asked.
“I broke thru the ceiling with no problem. I was curious to see if the area around the opening was clear, so, I stuck my head out. Then something licked my face. That’s all I remember.”
Rhianwen knelt beside the injured Duaar to get a better look at his injuries. Then she sat back and sighed. “Your ankle looks worse than it is. It’s just a minor sprain. Your shoulder will be okay, it’s out of its socket, you must have grabbed for a hold when you slipped. It’s going to hurt but we can put it back into place without magic.
“What about my back? Am I going to be paralyzed?”
“No silly, it’s not broken, just bruised. It might slow you down, but it’s not anything serious. I finally found something harder than your head, Duaar bones.”