Dark One Rising (24 page)

She re-sheathed it and looked his way. “I thought you said he hated water, that he couldn’t go anywhere near it.”

“That is what I said.”

“Were you wrong?”

“Could be, but from what I have learned about common wraiths, I’m correct. This wraith doesn’t seem to have a problem with water, however. I would take the time to try and come up with various assumptions, but we have to go.”

He kicked his horse into a gallop, Melenthia right behind him. She pushed her face closer to her horse’s neck to give her more speed. The rain pummeled them, and it dripped in her eyes and stung her face. She did her best to blink to keep her eyes clear, but the hard pounding rain made it difficult. She could see Alekzand’r beside her, but he was blurry in the mist.

They rode hard down the road, pushing their horses on. They had been traveling down the back roads for safety, the old mining roads that used to hold high traffic every day all day, but now were rarely used. Alekzand’r couldn’t figure out how Fallon’s men had tracked them here, and this fast, or how it was that everything he knew about a wraith was somehow wrong. Obviously Fallon had brought from the depths a new creature, one that no one knew about, or perhaps he created one of his own. He shuddered at that thought. He would never have thought Fallon to be that adept in the arts that he could summon a being of his own creation. Obviously, there were things about Fallon that no one knew.

He pulled the map out of his cloak pocket and looked at it, trying to get his bearings on this unfamiliar part of the Dark Woods. He looked to his left, making sure Melenthia was still with him, then motioned her to turn. He took off into the woods, racing between the trees like a mad man. He looked again and saw that she was just behind him and managing to keep up. He knew she was sore, and her head probably still throbbed, but she was riding in step with him without trouble. She was more resilient than he thought she would be, stronger than most women would be. He knew now that he wouldn’t have to worry about her losing speed. With men as relentless as Fallon’s were, she would be driven to get away at all costs.

They weaved in between the trees, and he searched the map for landmarks as they went. If he missed the door into the Sorcerers Wood, they would eventually be caught. He looked over his shoulder and saw the men, not more than a half mile behind them. He slowed down just enough for Melenthia to hear him and leaned over to her.

“When you see the waterfall, there will be a set of three trees standing in a row. Take a sharp right turn there, then another just past the cave entrance. Keep on straight from there and don’t look back.”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Yes, I’ll be right behind you. I can protect you better, if I’m in the rear.”

“Okay.”

He glanced over his shoulder one more time and saw the men had gained more speed and were almost on top of them. The wraith was sitting low in his saddle, his cape flapping behind him like wings. His red eyes were apparent now under his hood, and Alekzand’r felt a chill race through him.

He prodded his horse on, Melenthia’s horse just ahead. She came to the waterfall with the three lined trees and turned a sharp right, then continued toward the cave. When she saw that, she turned again and drove her horse on.

The men were still gaining, but according to the map, the entrance was coming up fast. He hoped the map was right, He also hoped that over time, the door to the hidden woods had not closed up. They would know shortly. The landmark to find the gate was coming up. Two large moss covered boulders with a space between them was what he was looking for.

He glanced behind him, worried that Fallon’s puppet had gained too much, and they would be close enough to follow them through the door. If that happened, he and Melenthia would be trapped with them inside, and it would be the end for them both.

They were close, the wraith determined to catch up, riding his horse practically to death. He could see the horse’s chest heaving, foam at the mouth, his hooves digging into the mud like an axe. The wraith’s red eyes flashed deeper, and Alekzand’r could now see his hand holding on to the reins of his exhausted steed. It was not a human hand, but blackened and scaly, like burnt snake skin. He had seen pictures of wraiths in historical lore books, and he knew what they looked like under their capes. It frightened him to think about and hoped Melenthia would not look back and see it too. They could shape shift into human form, using whatever language they needed to fool the enemy, but when it was on a blood mission, its real form appeared. He got another chill and kicked his horse into submission.

They reached the boulders. He caught up to her and leaned over to get her attention, then pointed toward them.

“Go between them and keep going until I say it’s okay. Don’t look back and don’t slow down, no matter what.”

She nodded her understanding and kicked her heels into her mount, urging it to push harder. She passed between the boulders and continued straight ahead, not looking back. She didn’t feel Alekzand’r next to her or just behind her, and she was getting frightened. What if something happened to him? What if he was caught, and she was alone? What if Fallon’s men, and that thing, caught her?

She tried to shake the fear that was creeping up by concentrating on the trail ahead. The forest was dense, but the trees were strangely different now. They were older looking, fatter in the base, with limbs that were gnarled. A light green veil of moss hung down from most of them, and their trunks had a yellowish tint rather than brown. The sun shone through the open boughs and cascaded light down on her face. She moved too fast for it to warm her, but she was amazed at how fast the clouds had moved past. The rain had stopped almost instantaneously, and there were actual shafts of sunlight shining down on the forest floor. If she wasn’t so scared she might have enjoyed it.

She felt a hand reach for her, and she started, looking beside her. She saw the face of Alekzand’r and let out a breath of relief.

“You can slow now; we’ve lost them.”

She glanced over her shoulder now and saw nothing but trees. No one was chasing. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, they have lost our trail.”

“How’s that possible? They were no more than a quarter mile behind us.”

“Yes, I know. We’ve entered a different wood now. Trust me.”

She pulled back on the reins and slowed her horse, who was breathing heavy and snorting her disapproval at being relentlessly pushed. Melenthia reached down and patted her, soothing her with soft words. The horse snorted her reply but continued forward at a steady walk. They rode like that for a good hour, Alekzand’r beside her. He kept glancing at her every now and then. She caught him from the corner of her eye and looked over at him smiling. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I haven’t seen you since you were a small girl, no more than three. You have grown into quite a beauty. You look a lot like your mother.”

“Thank you. Kevaan has told me the same thing many times. But I’ve also been reminded more times that I don’t act like my mo-ther.”

“Well that’s because you’re not her.”

“My father wishes I was. I’m sure Kevaan does too, although he has not said it out loud.”

“Your brother is very fond of you and loves you like no other. He wants only happiness for you.”

“He doesn’t understand my defiance when it comes to men of nobility. I don’t think anyone ever will.”

“I would bet that there is a purpose for you in this world, a reason you were born into this life. You’ll figure it out.”

“Despite what people think, I really don’t want to be lonely.”

“No one wants that. I’m sure things will come to light soon.”

She changed the subject. “I don’t understand how we lost them. They were so close to us. How did we just vanish?”

“We are traveling in the Sorcerers Wood now. Just passed the boulders was the door into it. Once we went through, it closed behind us, leaving the men to chase nothing.”

“The Sorcerers Wood?” She looked around in awe. “I didn’t think it existed, much less knew anyone who could find their way into it.”

“That is the prize for having a great sorcerer as a friend. Only those who have a map, or already know where it is, can enter. I have a map.”

“He gave it to you?”

“Loaned it actually. It’s not something he would hand over to just anyone. I told him of my mission and he knew the importance of it. If we would’ve been able to keep far enough ahead of Fallon’s men and they were unable to pick up our trail, I wouldn’t have had to use it. I prefer not to have done so, but here we are anyway.”

“Is it unsafe?”

“There is a chance that you can get lost in here, that the door out will remain hidden, even with the map, but I will remain optimistic so that I don’t worry myself into a frenzy. I felt it was worth the risk. We were still over a week and a half out from Azlyn and the king, and the sooner we get there, the better.”

“He’s expecting me?”

“Yes, I sent a message to him about your arrival. I didn’t go into too many details, and I kept the message cryptic in case it fell into the wrong hands, but he’ll understand its meaning.”

“I have heard much about your king.”

“Good things I hope.”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether or not you’re a girl easily swayed by the seductive charms of a rogue.”

“Oh. And you’re not one of those I would assume?”

“You assumed correctly. It doesn’t matter what he looks like or what he does to try and win my affection, he won’t get it.”

“He will respect you, Melenthia, and your wishes.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I will have his head if he doesn’t. What’s left of it after you’re finished that is. ”

She laughed.

“Don’t worry, Melenthia, he may have his faults, especially when drink and women are concerned, but deep down he is honorable. If you give him a chance, I bet you’ll see that he’s a good man, and a good king. You may even like him.”

She humphed, but was smiling slightly.

“I think it will be safe to stop soon. We’ll rest the horses, get something to eat and maybe grab a wink or two. We’ll be at Drydon Keep by tomorrow evening.”

“I thought you said we were over a week out?”

“The trail through these woods is a sacred short cut. It was created over five hundred years ago by the Council of Wizards, at a time when wizardry was considered evil. Most of the wizards from that time were hunted down and destroyed. That was when Aelethia had only two provinces. These provinces spent over five hundred years fighting against each other, and, eventually, the kingdom split into the four provinces we have today. For many years after, the realms stayed neutral to themselves; they didn’t seek assistance from each other, and they didn’t have allegiance to one another. Not until only one hundred years ago did the king of Azlyn and the king of Aaralyn decide that peace was needed between them. They made a pact to each other to be separate but to offer assistance whenever needed. That pact has been strong up to this day. Now it seems Fallon wants to change that. The sorcerers used this trail to move from place to place, without being seen. They could travel back and forth across Aelethia, or from their realms into the hidden city of Vallis. Now, with only one wizard left, the trail is seldom used, and most citizens don’t even know of its existence.”

“Do the elves travel through it?”

“If they need to. The elves keep to themselves for the most part and don’t travel into the realms. When the war was going on, the southern half tried to enlist the elves help, asking for their allegiance to them and only them. The Elders tried to explain that they had allegiance to no one but themselves. They were part of the earth, part of nature. War was not in their agenda. The king of the southern province gave them an ultimatum. If they did not choose to be a part of the fight, then they would be considered outcasts. Now elves prefer that, you see, so it didn’t have the effect the king desired, but to this day, they rarely leave Vallis. They choose to keep themselves separate from the rest of the kingdom.”

“But an elf did come out. He came to me and brought my sword when I was born.”

“Yes, that’s correct. You must be extremely important to have had that kind of honor bestowed on you.”

She laughed. “Yes the honor of being odd, an outcast, sort of like them.”

He looked over at her. “There is more to it, I would bet, and soon, I believe we’ll all know what it is.”

They continued on for another hour, then stopped to eat and rest for the night before their ride into Azlyn.

Tomorrow they would ride on until they reached the castle and not before. They would eat while they rode. He knew she was sore and tired, but he knew she would not protest. Their escape from Fallon’s men would make her desperate to reach their destination as soon as possible, and they would have time to rest when they got there. Until then, they would ride. He would relax only when he knew they were safe.

CHAPTER 15

K
ing Dain sat in his favorite chair by the fire in his sitting room, staring at the dancing flames lapping hungrily at the wood. He had already finished off a glass of ale and was halfway through another, when a servant knocked on the door.