He became the father figure she never had and she rejoiced at having his attention. He occasionally bought her gifts in exchange for chores and spent afternoons teaching how to track stray cattle and sheep. He even began instructing her in the use of the bow, in case wild predators got through the fences. It was an amazing time for her and for the first time in her life, she was truly happy.
Yet, no matter how much she came to love him or how much he tried to fill that gap in her life, a dark cloud continued to hover over her heart. Who was her real father? She had tried to broach the subject with her mother but had been instantly hushed and told never to ask again. It must’ve had to do with the palace where she worked, maybe a general or aide she met while working there. They were important enough that her mother considered it a taboo subject, and she learned quickly to not ask; lest she suffer her mother’s sharp tongue in response.
A baby boy was born to her mother in the early hours of a spring morning. They hadn’t been able to find a mid-wife—so her aunt had stepped in to do the job herself. Kylee had waited anxiously in the next room, knowing that something beautiful was happening and wanting to be a part of it. She heard the birth cries of her baby brother and it brought tears to her eyes. Once she was allowed to go in and see the newborn cradled in her mother’s arms, she felt tears of joy at the sight of the little pointed ears. She felt less alone in the world. She kissed her mother on the forehead and saw the relief in the older woman’s face that the ordeal was done.
When she wasn’t helping her mother with her baby brother, she was out amongst the livestock. They were the only friends she had to talk to and there was just too much to say. It was during this time that she had met her best friend and lifelong companion—Tuskar. He had been a cub when she stumbled across him the in the forest. She’d been tracking his mother, using her growing skills and a bit of magic to do so. She entered the wolves’ den ready for a fight and found a pale white wolf pup abandoned to his fate. She knew that she should kill it, lest it turn into a fierce predator later, but the look in the pup’s eyes and the sound of his voice within her mind stayed her hand. She had taken him home with her, much to her uncle’s surprise and anger; he did not want the fox invited in to stay in the henhouse.
She fought for the life of the pup with vehemence like never before. She stood her ground and hours later emerged from the farmhouse victorious. They’d never been apart since.
As he grew older, she’d take him with her into the forest, and they’d spend their days tracking and hunting together. Others watched her from a distance with a mixture of awe and disgust; but she no longer cared. Only Tuskar’s opinion mattered.
It was a bitter irony that the one thing that had caused so much strife in her life, being a pariah, ended up saving her life.
She and Tuskar had spent the morning tracking and she was headed back home with a brace of rabbits when she heard a commotion coming from the direction of her uncle’s farm. She was only a few feet from the tree line when she came to a halt and stared across the cornfields in horror. Men on horseback were ordering soldiers to set fire to the house and barns, lit torches were being flung through the air onto rooftops, and there was a thick cloud of gray and black smoke billowing into the formerly clear blue sky. She had been rooted in place, unable to do anything but sob as her entire family was butchered before her eyes. She had fallen to one knee, cowering in the shadows, and wept at the unspeakable tragedy unfolding in the fields beyond.
The man in charge of this grisly affair briefly looked her way, eyes searching the tree line, and her heart had pounded harder than it’d ever done before, just at the mere prospect of being seen.
Tuskar growled at her side and she had to physically restrain him, forcing his body to the ground with all the strength and weight she could muster, in order to prevent his charging the field and ripping into the enemy commander looking their way; they had become his family too.
After a brief moment, the man had turned away and dismounted. He walked over to her kneeling uncle, exchanged words lost to the wind, then personally cleaved the poor man’s head clean off. She nearly screamed and had to bite her arm to keep silent. Her wolf companion whined as his soul cried with her. To this day, she bore the scars her teeth made; they were a constant reminder of that horrific time of her life and how swiftly it could change.
Smoke was heavy upon the air as they backtracked to the wolves’ den she’d found Tuskar in. In the darkness of the cave, she fell into a fetal position and sobbed until sleep overtook her hours later. When she awoke, the moon was high in the night sky. In the cover of darkness, she made her way back to her uncle’s farm. The fire was still smoldering; the charred remains of the house and barn refusing to give in to the persistent flames.
Tentatively, she had stepped out of the trees, Tuskar a few feet ahead; ready to protect her if necessary. It hadn’t mattered, there wasn’t anyone left; they’d departed before the highest flickers of flame appeared in the darkening skies. The air had finally cleared a bit and she poked through what was left of the charred ruin, breaking into a fresh bout of tears at the sight of her mother and brother’s burnt remains. She rubbed her soot covered hands across her face, then turned and walked away; forever leaving her old life behind and journeying into the unknown world beyond.
For weeks, she had to rely on Tuskar to take care of her. She had been unable to move, didn’t have the energy or willpower to hunt for food, her motivation completely shattered as crouched by a stream in despair. She had been a broken shell incapable of seeing a future not shrouded in darkness. He brought her fresh game and protected her from the carnivores that came sniffing at the vulnerable prey encroaching their territory.
Over time, she had slowly returned to herself, though a more feral version of her former self as she stalked the forest hunting game; killing with a ferocity she’d never experienced before. She had no recollection of how long she had been lost in the forests of teeth and blood, but when she had finally regained some measure of her humanity, she came to know the driving force pushing her on; vengeance. She vowed to find the men responsible for the deaths of her family and make them pay for what they’d done. She would track them across the lands and exact a measure of justice for the blood of innocents upon their hands.
Vigorously, she had set about training herself with a renewed purpose. She became deadly with her bow and taught herself how to track her prey using magic. During that fragile time in the forest, she had been stripped down to her primal core and found that the bond with Tuskar had grown far stronger as a consequence.
Exploring that connection, she soon learned that her magic could link their minds; making them one. Their thoughts mingled to the point that they no longer needed to guess at their partner’s intentions, knowing instantly what they wanted or needed. At times, she didn’t know where she ended, and he began. That kind of intimacy was like nothing she’d ever experienced, and it nursed her through her despair in those dark days. What emerged from the forest a year later was far deadlier, experienced, and determined to exact her pound of flesh.
They found work taking the odd contract, employing their tracking skills to earn them money to live on. The occasional bear or mountain lion terrorizing farmers was quickly put down and their reputation began to grow. They migrated across the southern settlements, her eyes always searching for the faces in her nightmares; eager to find even a trace of their scent.
Her employers showed visible discomfort when her albino eyes fell upon them and flinched every time Tuskar growled; but she ignored it. The efficiency in which she handled her contracts kept them coming back, regardless of the uneasiness they felt in their presence. They were well paid for their work and soon she was adding to her weapons and armory, becoming deadlier as the seasons passed. Word of mouth increased business to the point where she could be pickier about which contracts to take and was no longer just scraping by on the edges of society.
She had been on a contract pursuing a fugitive
from justice when she had run into Merlin. He found her in a tavern, sitting in a booth alone, having just been paid for her bounty, and basking at the satisfaction of a job well done. He had plopped down in the seat across from her and had nearly gotten a dagger in his gut for his troubles. Only after convincing her that no harm had been intended, did she ease up and realize that he may be a potential client.
She had been about to give him the brush off and carry on with her celebration, when he made a statement that froze her in place and heated her blood. He promised her that if she came with him, he’d put her face to face with the man that butchered her family. Incensed, she had threatened him with violence if he didn’t explain what he knew and about who, but he’d simply continued eating and pretended that her threats were empty and unimportant.
“I don’t know where they are, but I know where they will be,” he had told her cryptically, as he had a habit of doing.
“And where is that?” she’d shot back, her passions enflamed.
“Look, I’m going to be leaving now. I have a lot of road to cover and not a lot of time to do it. If you want to come along, great, if not—well, I’m sure you’ll pick something up to entertain you without too much effort. You can go back to your rootless meanderings and forget ever laying eyes on the men you seek. Or, you can come with me. It is a dangerous journey and I cannot guarantee your safety. What I can promise, is that along the way you will get a chance to meet the men responsible for the death of your family and you shall have your vengeance.”
It had been over two years since that fateful day and it tested her patience to keep silent; to not ask the names of the butchers that killed her family. She still accepted the odd contract when Merlin was away and had no need for her skills, which happened more often than not. He’d disappear for weeks, sometimes months at a time. Then he’d show up out of nowhere and in a rush to get back on the road. They had traversed most of the southern settlements before heading north along the western forest.
That was when they’d found Kore. He had been covered in rags, his dark green skin cracked and peeling under the harsh sunlight. Dehydrated almost to the point of death, Merlin had worked tirelessly through the night to restore the orc’s health. Personally, she wanted to put an arrow in him and be done with it. There was a lot of bad blood between their two races and though she was an outcast in the eyes of her people, her instincts still wanted to slice the dying man to pieces.
Merlin had sensed this and commanded that she scout north to see if anyone was tracking the orc’s trail.
Infuriated, she had relented and left Kore in Merlin’s hands.
Three days later, she had returned to find Kore alive and on the road to recovery. She’d set into Merlin, the trust gained over the previous year almost breaking under the fury of their conversation. Even when the anger lost steam, she felt disgusted and sure that it was time to go on her own. She’d go back to her quest for vengeance and forget this crazy magician and his new pet orc.
It had taken time and more than a few reluctant conversations before she could even tolerate being in the orc’s presence. She spent more time on her own, hunting and tracking with Tuskar; trying to avoid the new addition to their party. She could be miles away and her magic could still track of the other’s progress. Merlin knew that she was near and didn’t push the issue. He had given her the space she needed.
Armor and weapons were procured for the monstrous behemoth; from where she had no idea, no humans could bare armor of that size, it had to have been a custom job. It had been on one of those trips where Merlin just took off, this time in the company of Kore, and returned weeks later with gear in hand.
He’d had gifts for her as well.
She had been reluctant to give up her bow, but the black composite long bow he’d handed over was a thing of beauty and too exquisite to pass up. It was more accurate, had longer range, and made a deadly addition to her arsenal.
Then there was the quiver.
He had personally placed an enchantment on it that would keep it stocked, no matter how many she pulled or how fast she shot. Every time she reached back, there’d be an arrow for her to grab. The gifts were beyond priceless, and unexpected tears had come to her eyes. Not since her uncle, had anyone done anything like that for her. She had tried to thank him, but he merely shook his head and smiled; patting her shoulder.
She still harbored her need for vengeance, it was a driving force in her life, but was no longer in the front seat. Merlin had secured her loyalty and trust. She knew he would keep his word and gave herself over to his mission completely. There was a new threat in the world, one far more dangerous than the evil men in her past. She would not stand by and watch other farms burn, families slaughtered in front of their children. She’d sacrifice her life to ensure nothing like that ever happened again. After Kore, she thought nothing could surprise her anymore.
Then out of the shadows walked the blind boy and his sister.
She watched the waves hit the shore and thought of the last two days and how quickly their group was growing. Things were speeding up and it made her uneasy. She knew that the time for wandering was coming to an end and the real journey was about to begin.
She felt a sudden rush of excitement, then realized it was her bond with Tuskar. He had just taken down a deer and was basking in the glory of his kill. She reached down and got a piece of jerky from a pouch. The smell and taste of venison, even raw, was making her stomach growl. Taking a quick bite, she turned her head east towards the forest they’d recently left and froze in place. A large black cloud was stretching over the horizon and coming swiftly in their direction.
Tuskar felt the panic within her heart; his kill forgotten as he immediately got to his feet and began bounding her way.
“Reyna, Kore,” she hollered, not bothering to look away from the darkness spreading across the sky to see if they heard.
“What the fuck is that?” came the voice of the bitter woman behind her.
Kore came to stand by her side, eyes following the movements across the sky. “Crows. Phoenix crows,” he muttered.
Her blood went cold. She closed her eyes and called upon her magic. When she opened them again, her vision was tinted red and black, making it easier to distinguish the individual lifeforms amongst the herd. She tilted her gaze towards the heavens and took in the horrors winging their way. Across the blackened sky were thousands of red dots, each signifying a lifeform. Kore was right, it was a murder of crows unlike any she’d ever seen before.
She has to have every single crow in the lands up there.
“Fuck me,” Reyna swore, suddenly standing on her other side.
Tuskar was driving himself hard across the grasslands and had almost reached them when the murder of crows suddenly pulsed and dove towards the ground. She reacted instantly, her arrows finding targets without consciously picking them out. She focused on the leaders of the flock, trying to divert them from her best friend, but there were just too many for her to make an impact; he was going to die, and she would hear it happen.
Kore thundered past, but she was too busy picking out targets to mark his progress. What would his greataxe due against a swarm that big?
Reyna had her helmet on and was hurriedly fastening her shield to her arm. “We are going to die.”
“Here they come!” she warned the others, ignoring the black knight’s remark; fear for her unprotected companion driving her forward, heedless of her own safety. He bore no natural armor and a flock that size would tear him to shreds.
Reyna barely had enough time to raise her shield before the first of the crows descended upon them; bodies thudding into her shield. The ground began to be littered with the dead, their necks broken from the strength of their assault as they pounded into the black knight’s armor.
She had nothing to cower behind, had only her cloak to shield her body, and it would not protect her face. Her bow was useless at close range, so she tossed it and drew her long knives inste
ad. With a snarl, she called upon her magic once more and flames burst from the blades’ hilts, slithering across their warming steel. The knives were her only illumination as the frenzied birds filled her world with darkness.
Rage coursed through her, her adrenaline pumping swiftly through her veins, and the feral beast that resided within begged to be let loose. It was thrashing at the chains, hungry, and in a murderous rage. She knew that she might not survive; that this could be the end. So she buried her consciousness deep within the recesses of her mind and let it off its leash.
II
Jared was still fuming over having been sent away.
The blood flow had ceased, and his head had begun to clear. His hand rested on the horn of the saddle, the texture beneath his fingers pitted and covered in his sweat. His blindfold was itching behind his ears, the fabric soaked in sweat as well. He reached for a pouch at his waist and withdrew a folded scarf from within. Sliding his blindfold off, he shoved it in the pouch with little ceremony. He’d wash and dry it later. With practiced skill, he tied the new one about his eyes, the dry fabric cooling to the touch. He had no real need for it, its only purpose to assuage the uneasiness of others, as his gray unseeing eyes could be a bit unnerving. Of course, it also served to give him a look of vulnerability, which came in handy when wanting to be dismissed or forgotten.
Taking the canteen clipped to his belt, he added water to the napkin Willow provided and went about cleaning his face. No use letting the caked blood draw unwanted attention. The moisture felt refreshing, and he allowed the breeze to air dry it; basking in the cooling effect it provided. Satisfied, he pocketed the napkin as well.
He had a slight headache, brought on by the strenuous work of keeping hundreds of people blind to their trek through the castle. He had been sure it was something he could do, as he had done so for him and his sister many times before, yet he hadn’t counted on how taxing it’d be to hide four instead of two.
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