The scout, p.27
The Scout, page 27
“Take Bran to Cian,” I told Emer, forcing myself to rise to my feet. “I will find Lewella. The remaining mercenaries need to be dealt with and we must prepare to take my father’s body back to Clogwyn.”
“I don’t need to see Cian right now,” Bran said, shaking his head. “I can wait.”
“I cannot lose you as well.” The words came out harsher than I intended but as I held Bran’s gaze, I knew he saw every broken, anguished emotion swirling around inside of me. Emer came up and gently took his good arm.
“Yes, Ri Seren,” she said, slightly inclining her head.
She wasn’t wrong in saying it. My place was not confirmed by the council just yet, but in Father’s passing, the title would be assumed to pass to me. And still, a sense of overwhelming grief that threatened to make me fall back down on my knees washed over me, my gaze falling to the dead bodies that littered the scorched ground. This had not been how I had wanted to become Ri of Blaidd.
Emer ushered Bran off and I glanced back at my father’s body, a cool breeze brushing the back of my neck. You will take your place as Ri of Blaidd, no matter what. My jaw tightened at the Wolf Spirit’s whispered reminder. I’d made a vow, one that I had promised to see through. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped away from the boulders, navigating the dead bodies covering the ground as the warriors who still lived continued restraining and capturing the handful of Lorcan’s forces who had survived the fight. The weight of the clan ring felt heavy on my hand, but it was weight I would bear. It was time to set Blaidd to rights.
Chapter 41
The Stag’s Favor
Alannah
I could feel myself sliding across the ground, my limbs catching on tree roots and rocks, sending more agonizing waves of pain crashing through my body. My head throbbed, my mouth was dry, and my eyes were gritty as I squinted them open. I was in the forest, being pulled through dirt, brush, and bramble. Above me, I could see that the sun was setting, casting the forest floor in shadow.
There was another harsh jerk that caused a whimper of pain to escape my lips, followed by an all too recognizable low hiss. My spine went rigid, my breathing growing even more shallow as I realized it was a shadow creature that held me in its powerful jaws. It was what was dragging me by the shoulder across the forest floor.
My memory was fragmented. I recalled the fighting, the fire, and Cadfael’s death. I remembered Lorcan and Dara turning on me, but I had no memory of how I’d gotten away from the battle. I could only surmise that the creature and Fianna had had something to do with it. Though, for all I knew, the creature had dragged me into the forest to make me its next meal.
I gasped and cried out as it pulled me over more rocks, feeling as if my arm were certain to be ripped from the rest of my body. The smoke that rolled off the creature made it difficult to breathe and its fangs digging into my flesh were like pins of fire sinking inside me. An instinctual part of me knew I should flee, but I was also well aware that I was in no condition to do so. If the creature were to kill me and devour my soul, I could only hope it would be quick about it.
The shadow creature continued on through the forest despite the fading light, not once loosening its hold on me. It was difficult to get my bearings in my pain-filled haze, but it appeared I was still within the safety of Ioliare. Blackness began to dance at the edges of my vision once more and just when I thought I could bear the pain no longer, the shadow creature stopped, releasing its hold on me and dropping me to the ground.
The jarring jolt left me whimpering and I pushed myself to roll onto my side. My attempt at getting to my feet was short-lived, as I soon discovered my right leg would bear no weight. Blood covered what I could see of my body; open wounds crisscrossed my arms, legs, and right side. My chest felt heavy as I fought for breath, the shadow creature standing over me. I wanted to run away from it, but I couldn’t.
Turning my head, I struggled to take in my surroundings, listening to the gurgle of nearby water. The creature had deposited me a few feet from a flowing river. Smooth stones ran along the riverbank, covered in bright green moss, and ancient, gnarled trees surrounded me on all sides. The bubbling of the water tempted me, my parched throat making me desperate for a drink.
I rolled onto my belly and crawled to the edge of the water, fighting my way over the slippery, moss-covered rocks. To my relief, the shadow creature didn’t try to stop me, remaining where it was as it watched me with its unnerving ember eyes.
By the time I reached the edge of the bank, I was shaking. I cupped a hand, dunking it into the river, only to yank it back out as the water burned my skin. I cursed; my hand was as red as if I had stuck it into open flames. The water began to bubble and hiss, steam rising off it. I fought to scramble away from the bank, my stomach churning and my hand throbbing, but I didn’t make it far before the shadow creature stalked up behind me, snarling as it pinned me in place.
The bubbling water began to swirl and the shadow creature crowded me, fangs bared, until I crawled back over to the river’s edge. An image began to form on the water, one that I knew all too well. Like its creatures, the Stag Spirit’s body was made of smoke and ash, its antlers formed from burning flames, and its eyes blazed with scorching embers.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice so hoarse, it was barely above a whisper. “If you have had your creature bring me here to kill me, have it be done with it.”
But I have so many more uses for you if you’re alive, little mortal. Fianna laughed. Though even now, I know you feel the life leaving you.
I gritted my teeth, my breathing shallow and weak.
You won’t last much longer, but your future, Fionn’s bastard’s future, is not done yet. It paused, the rippling image of the Spirit on the water angling its head as smoke burst forth from its nostrils. Not if you are willing to make a bargain to ensure it.
“Of what bargain do you speak?”
Your soul, it said, pulling back its lips to reveal grotesquely sharp teeth. I will save you and you will give me your soul in return. Aengus will be yours, Blaidd will be yours. So long as you become my servant.
The water rippled again, new images filling it, ones that left my heart aching. I saw Aengus’ smiling face, I saw him kissing me passionately, taking me to his bed. I saw my sister thrown in Castle Clogwyn’s dungeons at Aengus’ command, forced to pay for what she had done to me. I saw myself standing by Aengus’ side in the Great Hall, the clan ring of Blaidd sparkling on his hand as the people of Blaidd bowed before us. The water bubbled again and Fianna’s form returned as a hacking cough ripped from my lungs, causing blood to trickle out of the side of my mouth. It was right. I could feel the life leaving me, and in the end, I was not ready to die.
I will do it, I said. I will bind my soul to you.
Fianna’s lips curled back once more in what looked like a grotesque smile. Behind me, the shadow creature stepped toward me, letting out a low, rumbling hiss. I stiffened, my heart pounding as the creature reached me and lowered its head. It opened its mouth and flames burst forth, engulfing me. I cried out, expecting pain, but to my astonishment, none followed.
Instead, the flames wrapped around my body, healing the gaping wounds that covered me. Slowly, my pain vanished and my breathing deepened, the flames eventually morphing into smoke that blew away on the breeze. I was whole once more.
I sat up, staring at the pristine skin on my hands, my eyes wide. There was no sign of the battle that had almost cost me my life, save for one small place on the inside of my left wrist. A scar lingered there, one that looked like flaming antlers. Much like the small mark I had received after swearing my bond to Lorcan, it had a strange glimmer, but on this mark, I could feel the darkness that was imbued into it.
You have much to learn, little mortal, Fianna said. You are not yet ready to take Castle Clogwyn yet, but soon you will be.
I crawled up onto my knees, readying to get to my feet. I was going to need to find shelter and food. Otherwise, I wasn’t going to last long in the middle of the wilderness.
Oh, not so fast, I’m afraid. Fianna let out a harsh laugh. We need to make sure Fionn’s bastard knows that he cannot live without you. Let’s make that easy, shall we?
Before I could even react, the shadow creature barreled into me from behind, shoving me over the edge of the bank and into the water. It had returned to its ice-cold temperature, no longer bubbling and boiling, but the once gentle water had turned into a raging current that threatened to drag me under. I fought it, grasping and flailing as I tried to keep my head above water, all the while being forced downstream at an alarming pace. Rage and panic filled me as I choked on water. Why in the blazes had Fianna saved me if all it was going to do was drown me?
Fear began to grip me as I continued to be pulled and tossed down the icy river, my heart feeling as if it would beat out of my chest, until I finally managed to latch on to a downed tree hanging over the water. I clutched the rotting trunk with everything I had to keep from being pulled back under. As I gasped for breath, I swore I heard a faint voice, but it was followed by nothing but the rushing of the river. I clawed at the trunk, trying to ease my way toward the riverbank, only to half slip and almost plunge back into the water in the process.
“Alannah!”
For a moment I thought I had surely lost my mind, for how could Aengus be here, but I turned my head toward his voice to see him crashing around the trees and racing for the river.
“Hold on!” he shouted as he reached the downed tree.
My heart was in my throat as he climbed onto it, carefully crawling down the length of the half-rotted trunk. The water roared beneath him, still trying to pull me away from my lifeline. My arms were shaking, my fingers struggling to maintain their hold on the wet, crumbling bark. Aengus was only a foot from me when one of my hands slipped and he uttered a string of curses, scrambling closer. I clung harder, trying to ignore the numbness that was setting into my body. Finally, he reached me. He wrapped one arm under my shoulders and hauled me up onto the tree trunk with him, almost rolling the both of us off in the process.
“Hold onto me,” he said. “I won’t let go. I promise.”
I nodded, my teeth starting to chatter as I clung to him. He was breathing hard as he inched us back down the tree, holding me close. The moments were agonizing, the river still angrily raging below. When he finally hauled the two of us off the log, my shoulders sagged with relief. He kept an arm firmly around my shoulders, supporting me as I leaned against him, shivers overtaking my body.
“My horse isn’t far,” he said. “Can you walk?”
“I’ll manage,” I replied. “How… how did you find me?”
He looked away, not quite meeting my gaze. “I was asked to come treat a sick child in Sruth. When I was riding back… something told me to come this way.”
It was the way he said something, along with Fianna’s lingering words that left me highly suspicious of just what that something was. I wouldn’t put it past Fianna to have planned all of this and regrettably, I also wouldn’t put it past the Stag Spirit to have risked my life to suit its purposes. I had sworn my soul to it, but I would not go into this blind. I wouldn’t make Lorcan’s mistake of thinking I was indispensable.
“Come,” Aengus said as more shivers continued to wrack my soaking wet body. “Let’s get you back to my horse. We need to get you dry and warm, but I’d rather make camp for the night a bit farther away from here.”
He kept an arm around me to support me as we walked and I breathed in his fresh scent. Earth and pine. Fitting for a healer and I needed the comfort it gave me. I was freezing cold, my fingers and toes feeling close to numb, but I still relished the feel of his warm body pressing against mine. I might not have agreed with Fianna’s tactics, but I would not waste this opportunity. Aengus would know how much he needed me; I would make sure of it.
As I stumbled along through the forest next to him, he murmured encouraging words, gently rubbing my shoulder with his thumb. He didn’t ask me how I’d come to be half-drowning in a river, though I suspected he soon would. His current focus, at least, seemed to be on getting me back to his horse as quickly as possible. It would give me time to come up with some story to spin for him as to how I’d ended up half-drowned in a river. The forest continued to grow darker and by the time we reached his mare, tied to the trunk of an oak tree, night had fallen.
Aengus pulled blankets out of his saddlebags, wrapping me up in them before helping me onto his mount. Once I was settled in the saddle, he swung up behind me, holding me by the waist as he took control of the mare. He guided her through the trees and to my surprise, the road was only a mere few feet away.
I recognized where we were, on the boundary of the southern part of Ioliare; the road the mare was walking down being one of the main roads that led north. We were miles away from what had become the battle with Cadfael and his warriors. A shiver passed down my spine as I wondered just how intricately Fianna might have planned all of this.
“We’ll stop soon and I’ll get a fire going to help you get warmer,” Aengus said, pulling me a bit closer to him.
“Thank you,” I murmured, pressing my back up against his broad chest.
“I wouldn’t have left you to drown.”
His words and the emotion that were imbued in them brought a smile to my lips, one that was hidden from him by the dark as the mare ambled on. I turned my head to get more comfortable in the saddle and my gaze fell on the shadowy trees lining one side of the road. My breath momentarily caught the briefest glimpse of glowing, ember eyes peeking through the trees before they vanished into the night, leaving nothing but darkness behind. A slight tingle came from my wrist, where the antler-shaped mark now marred my skin, subtle reminders of how cautiously I would now have to tread to keep myself in Fianna’s favor. This was not over yet.
Chapter 42
Fears and Burdens
Bran
There were certain memories that stayed with you. Images that wouldn’t ever leave. I knew that seeing to the dead after the battle in Ioliare was something that would be forever emblazoned on my memory. I scrubbed at the dirt, grime, and dried blood that covered my hands, trying to rid myself of it before returning to the tent Seren and I were sharing. Cian had healed the wound in my shoulder the previous night and like the rest of the able-bodied warriors, I’d been pulled into dealing with the aftermath of the battle. I’d spent all afternoon helping see to the dead, along with helping Lewella identify as many of the dead as possible.
We’d found Drystans’s body along with Lorcan’s and Dara’s. There were countless bodies of both warriors and mercenaries, but the bodies of the warriors were the hardest for me to bear. For so many, I knew the names and faces of their families who would be left to grieve them. The one body that had eluded us thus far, however, was the one that haunted me the most. There had been no sign of Alannah and no proof that she had perished along with the others. Lewella had reminded me repeatedly that a fair number of the bodies had been burned beyond recognition and there was no reason to think that Alannah could have survived such a bloodbath, but still, I couldn’t shake my unease.
By the time I was finished scrubbing my hands and arms, my skin was red, but at least it was clean. I tossed the dirty rag back in the small bucket of water and straightened, stepping aside to allow another warrior the opportunity to wash. I was largely ignored when I left, heading deeper into the camp. Though I was still far from accepted among the war band of Blaidd, both Seren and Lewella had made it clear that I was to be treated respectfully, something Drystan and Cadfael had never cared to demand, much less enforce. I suspected there was some resentment around that, but no one had defied it outright; not yet, at least.
Though Lewella hadn’t set up camp on the battlefield itself, the edge of the burned forest could still be seen from the camp, the line of blackened trees and sooty ground a silent reminder of what had taken place yesterday. Upon reaching Seren’s tent, I ducked inside, unsurprised to see her speaking with Lewella. In a far corner, Rhonwen’s bow and quiver had been propped up with care. There was a connection between Seren and the weapon, one that I didn’t know how anyone could deny after the battle. The Wolf Spirit had chosen her to wield it and to defeat Lorcan. If that was not enough to convince the clan that she was the one who should be the next Ri of Blaidd, I wasn’t sure what would be.
I stood just inside the tent’s entrance, giving her and Lewella space while they continued speaking. I was proud of Seren for how she had sought to fill her new role in the wake of Cadfael’s death. It was a heavy burden she bore, with so much loss and destruction, but she was handling it admirably. Lewella, too, had proven herself these last few days. With Drystan’s passing, I knew Seren intended to make Lewella Blaidd’s new warrior chief, and there was no doubt in my mind that she was well suited to the task.
The two of them soon finished their quiet conversation, Lewella giving Seren a respectful nod before leaving the tent. As soon as the tent flap closed behind the other woman, Seren rubbed her forehead, her shoulders drooping slightly. I strode over to her, slipping my arms around her before lightly kissing the top of her head. She was strong—she had always been so—but I knew that didn’t mean she didn’t feel the weight of all that had transpired. I was determined to support her in every way that I could.
“Lewella estimates that we’ve lost almost half the war band,” Seren said, her weariness evident in her voice. “And from what she’s gathered, my father left only a small number of warriors behind to protect Clogwyn.” She paused, scrubbing her hand over her face. “I suppose at least the worst of the threat is behind us now.”
