The gauntlet runner, p.9
The Gauntlet Runner, page 9
part #2 of The Tharassas Cycle Series
The hencha fire burst into life around her, burning through her and her sprained leg. She yelled at the pain, at the tempest, and the whole godsdamned world, pushing through the agony, and pulled on the rope. She hoped it wouldn’t break where it lay over the sharp new edge of rock where Kerrick had fallen. She prayed to Norja that it was still tied around his waist too.
The rain, the rush of the water, and the darkening sky fell away. All that was left were her hands and the rope. Even the pain in her leg receded as she concentrated on hauling the rope in hand over fist.
Hand over hand, she hauled him back, pulling on his dead weight with more strength than she knew she had. It seemed to go on forever, but at last the rope hitched on something, refusing to budge. She tied it off around the base of the old bush and edged forward again.
She peered over the edge. Kerrick’s body was down there, bobbing in the river.
She pulled on the rope again, hauling him up as if he were as light as a feather. Flames played down her arm and along the threaded filament without harming it. Soon she had him up on the ledge, laying him down at a safe distance from its border.
She knelt to check his pulse. Nothing.
“You’re not getting away from me that easily.” She turned him on his side to drain out any water from his lungs. Then she laid him on his back and blew into his mouth five times, something they taught to every initiate at the Temple. She placed her hands on his chest and pressed five times, and then resumed her breathing.
She kept going, falling into a hypnotic rhythm. Breathe, push, breathe, push. After a minute or two, she stopped to check on him. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but he seemed to have some color in his cheeks.
Then his whole body shook, and he coughed up a fountain of water, splashing her face.
She grimaced and wiped the water away from her face with the back of her hand. Thank Jas he’s alive. And thank you, Jor’Oss.
Kerrick opened his eyes, his handsome brow furrowed. “What happened?” He coughed again but had the common decency to turn his head away from her.
She forgave him for the first time, having been almost dead and all. “The ledge crumbled under you. I had to haul you out like a drowned eircat.”
The pain in her leg was gone — she touched it, and it felt normal — healthy and whole. Wonders upon wonders.
He sat up, touching his chest and wincing. “Did you resuscitate me?”
“Guilty. You were in a bad way when I pulled you out of the water.”
He frowned. “Feels like you might have cracked a rib when you did.”
Can I fix him?
The hencha filled her again, their presence a comfort. Yes. But there is always a price.
I’ll pay it. She owed the man, after all, however insufferable he might be. “I think I can help with that.” If the hencha cooperate. She put a hand on his chest. The cloth of his shirt burned away, and a blue glow suffused him.
“Holy green hell!” His hands clenched his knees, his face a rictus of pain.
“Hold still, and don’t be a baby.” She’d have to learn to control the flames better. Hopefully Dor could help her with that. If she made it home in one piece.
The short curly hair burned off in a flash too, filling the air with a pungent smell that was quickly blown away by the wind.
Silya could feel his body under her hands, the layers of skin and muscle, sinew and bone. She searched for the break, finding more than one — tiny fractures in three of his ribs and a clear break in a fourth. She poured her flames into him, and the bones began to knit themselves together under her touch. The energy flowed from her, draining her own limited reserves, but she held on until it was done.
When he was healed, she sat back and closed her eyes for a moment, catching her breath. “Better?” She looked up to find him staring at her.
“Yes, much. I didn’t mind it — a cracked rib is a small price to pay to be alive.”
“Four, actually. But all fixed now.” She was tired but happy that they were both alive.
“Four, then.” He flashed her a smile. “And here I thought I was rescuing you.”
She shrugged. “Friends help friends.”
His’s gaze lingered on her just a little too long. “Is that what we are?”
Heat rushed to her face. “So, did you bring any food with you, or are we going to freeze and starve up here?” Food would help.
He gave her a so that’s how it’s gonna be look and turned away. “There are a few things in the pack back there.” He indicated the darkness at the back of the ledge. “Did you have to burn my shirt off? I mean, I do have another, but that was one of my favorites.”
“Sorry about that.” Enjoying the sight of his beautiful, naked chest, she decided she really wasn’t.
“At least I got you fired up, huh? Your leg seems better.”
“I guess so.” She glanced at her hands and the flames died away. They seemed to come most easily when she was angry or afraid. That was less than ideal — she needed to learn how to summon them at will, when she needed them most. Not when the hencha thought she needed them.
“A woman of many talents.”
“You have no idea.” She wasn’t comfortable with his flirtation. Especially right now. She was exhausted and hungry and dirty. “I’m glad you’re all right — it was getting lonely down here.” He really was distressingly handsome. She turned away, casting about for his pack in the darkness. “Let’s get something to eat, and then we can figure out what to do next about our predicament.”
Which one, she didn’t specify.
9
Anghar Mor
Something wet licked Raven’s face.
He grumbled, still bone tired, and pushed whatever it was away. Whoever or whatever was bothering him could muck off to Heaven’s Reach, for all he cared.
Bits of reed grass from his homemade mattress scratched at his neck. He’d been dreaming …
Frowning, he patted the grass back down and pulled his blanket over his head, turning over on his side, away from the annoying intruder.
Something heavy–the intruder–landed on him, hard.
“What the hell?” He sat up, pushing off his attacker and scrambling backward to look wildly around his lair in the dim light.
Only it wasn’t his lair. It was one of the caverns at Mountainhome, and his attacker was a verentling about his own size — one of Breeze’s get. My siblings. That was a damned ridiculous thought. I should be screaming.
The young verent stared at him, head cocked, and then nudged him, issuing a surprising purr.
But who can scream when they’re being purred at? “Well, good morning to you too.” He scratched the verentling between its eyes, the way he’d seen Jai do with his verent Angel. The purring increased in volume and intensity. “I think I’ll call you Cat.”
Cat’s sibling bounded into the room. It was bigger, its skin a slightly darker shade, the scales seemingly better defined across its sleek body. It flexed its wings and hissed at them.
“All right already. I’m up.” He squinted at the second verent. You’re going to be trouble. “You’re Grey.” He wondered if he’d be able to hear what other verent were thinking someday, or just his “own.”
With a sigh, he got up, cleaning out his ear with his pinky.
Cat reached up to lick his finger.
He pulled it back. “Eeeew. No, don’t. That’s just gross.”
Cat shrank away from him, hunching its shoulders.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He rubbed its head and the purring resumed. He’d have to ask the others about verent genders. How do you tell?
Gray hissed at him again and turned to go, glancing back at him over its shoulder.
“Guess I’m being summoned.” He’d dropped right into bed and fallen asleep when he’d returned from his midnight chat with Chala.
He wished Spin were there. The little sphere might know more about this place, and he missed his familiar’s sarcastic voice.
He hurriedly pulled on his shirt and trousers. They were a bit dirty from the fight at the Manor and the flight to Mountainhome, but they would have to do. He pulled on his boots next, and half-heartedly tried to make his bed. “Nest” was a better description — a pile of reed grass covered by a blanket, and another on top of that. And yet, it had been comfortable enough, if empty.
Still, he had hope. Jai said he wasn’t going to become one of these creatures. And Aik hadn’t seemed to mind the changes so far.
Cat nudged him again.
“All right, all right, I’m coming. This would be a lot easier if you could just tell me what you wanted.” He followed them out into the main cavern.
One of Breeze’s mates — Squint? — was sharpening its claws on a rocky outcrop near the entrance to the sunny main cavern. It shot him what he interpreted as an amused glance as the verentlings herded him across the wide space and through an opening to another cavern on the far side. “Yeah, laugh all you want. Once they’re done with me, they’re coming for you too.”
This one held a sizable pool of warm water, to judge from the steam raising off of its surface. Someone had left a clean towel and set of clothing on the edge, along with a bar of purple reed soap.
Cat and Gray shot past him to bound into the water, causing it to slosh up onto the edge. He jumped forward to rescue his clean clothing before it was swamped by verentling-waves, finding a place to put it above the fray on a flat rock.
The water did look enticing. When in Gullton … He pulled off his boots and wiggled out of his clothing, grabbed the bar of soap and joined the bathing verent. They made space for him, though their splashing got his hair wet before he had a chance to dip his head in the water. The soap lathered up nicely, and it had a sharp, sweet smell that wasn’t at all unpleasant.
He had to piss something powerful. Looking around — like there was anyone here to see — he let loose in the pond. “Ahhhhhhh.” It smelled stronger than usual, detectable even through the water. Damned verent senses.
Cat cocked its head at him, and he turned away, embarrassed.
The yellow stain in the water shifted toward the back of the cavern, and soon the pool was clean again.
Interesting. He’d have to ask the others about bathroom arrangements — he most definitely didn’t want to shit where he slept.
Soon he was humming Destrayer’s Song while soaping himself up in the luxuriously hot water. It felt wonderful, and he stayed longer than he probably should have as the warm water soothed the aches and pains from his first verent ride. He washed his hair three times, happy to feel the cleanliness all the way down to his scalp.
Finally, satisfied that he was clean, He set to washing his old clothes. He scrubbed them with soap and then rinsed them out in the warm water, and laid them on another rock to dry.
The verentlings had finished their own baths, and now they lazed on the edge of the pond, watching him with interest as he scrubbed under his arms.
Why had I never seen a verent before, or even heard of one? Why hadn’t anyone? Maybe the ce’faine had. They lived in these parts, after all. Still, it was strange that a rumor of their existence had never made it to Gullton.
He ducked under the water to rinse his hair. It felt so good to be clean, to wash off the grime and verent-smell.
When he lifted his head, Astrid was standing on the edge of the pond.
“Morning, Gullton. How’s our newest arrival doing?” She was grinning.
Raven covered himself, aware that the water was all but transparent save for the soap suds, which were steadily moving toward the back of the bathing pool. “Um, clean?”
“Don’t bother. I’ve seen it all before. We all have occasion to get naked around here often enough.”
He kept his thoughts about that to himself. So much for prim and proper.
“Because of the verent shift. What did you think I meant?” She cocked her head at him.
He blushed, feeling the heat extend down his neck. For a moment he’d been picturing something quite different. “Ah. Of course.”
“Besides, I have literally no interest in you. In any of you. Now get dressed — we’re going to start your training.” She snapped her fingers and pointed at the exit, and Cat and Gray ducked their heads and slunk out into the main cavern. Cat shot him a departing look that might have been pity.
“Training?” He glanced at his towel, too far away to reach without leaving the water. “Um … do you mind?”
She blew a stray lock of hair away from her face. “Whatever.” She turned away from him, hands on her hips. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Maybe. But I like my privacy.” There were a lot of things he was going to have to get used to around here, if he stayed. If I don’t escape. He grimaced as he climbed out of the water to grab his towel. He dried himself off and fluffed his hair, keeping his backside to her. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so, but she was a stranger — a particularly intimidating stranger — and he was naked.
“Done yet, Gullton?” Her foot tapped.
“Almost. And the name’s Raven.” Turns out verent women are just like the rest.
He pulled on his new clothing. It was made of homeweave, the material a warm brown that on closer inspection proved to be a mix of colors from white to beige to black. It was also a little loose. The shirt had a hood and one wide pocket across the front, while the trousers had two. A drawstring tightened the waist. There were socks too — knitted gray things that looked soft and warm. He tucked his feet into his boots, lacing them up tight. “Done. Who makes these?”
She turned to appraise him. “Not bad. Jai does all the clothing. We’ll acquaint you with the task list today — each of us works on something every day. After your training session, you can pick something that needs doing.”
“Where’s the bathroom?”
She looked at him and then at the pool. “You didn’t. Tell me you didn’t.” A scowl crossed her face.
“I …”
“Raven! That’s horribly offensive to the verent. You know they have an incredible sense of smell, right?” The scowl deepened.
His face flushed hot. “I … maybe just a little? I had to pee.” She smelled … amused, not angry. He frowned.
She glared at him a minute longer, letting him hang out to dry, and then a smile crept across her face. “Don’t worry about it. We all do it.”
“Oh, thank the gods.” Her sense of humor was a little too much like Silya’s for his taste. Sadistic, they both were. “You had me going there.”
“You’ll get used to that too.” She gave him an appraising look. “There is an actual bathroom, over in the kitchen. Probably a bit primitive for a Gullton man, but better than nothing. I’ll show you later, unless …”
“No, later is fine.” He hoped it was private. Being caught naked was embarrassing enough — he didn’t need to do his business with an audience. Human or verent.
He laid out his old clothes to dry. “Will these be okay here?”
“Probably, unless the verentlings decide to have a little fun with them while we’re gone.”
He wondered if that was a joke too. “So, what’s on the agenda?” He hoped it included breakfast. His stomach was rumbling. He slipped his hand over it. Are you still in there?
“We’ll start with some information. I’m sure we didn’t answer all of your questions yesterday.”
“Not even close.” He was itching to get out and explore the place some more on his own, but it would have to wait. The need for other answers was more pressing.
“Let’s go then. You can come back for your old clothes later.” She led him out of the bathing cavern and into the main one. The verentlings and Breeze’s mate were gone. “What’s your verent’s name?”
“Breeze.”
She nodded. “Oooh, nice. Bit emasculating, maybe. I would have gone with Thunder. I wonder what he calls you.”
Probably Skinny Lazy Human. “Wait, Breeze is a he?”
She nodded. “The verent have three sexes. Roughly speaking, male, female, and egg-layer. Breeze is currently male.”
“Currently?”
“Like the aur, they shift every mating season. My Sleeker’s an egg layer this year.” Astrid led him out onto the wide ledge that overlooked the valley.
He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. Clouds crowded the green sky, tinged with gold. A cool breeze blew across the cavern entrance from the west.
She led him to a rock outcrop along the edge of the wide ledge. “Come have a seat.”
He sat next to her, closing his eyes and enjoying the fresh air of the breeze as it blew up from the valley below. It was cool with a hint of rain, the kind that would have raised goosebumps on his forearms, before. He ran his hand over the smooth scales. When did I get used to you?
“Ask your first question.”
He squeezed his hands together. “Why did they bring me — us here?”
Astrid took a deep breath, and then exhaled. “Ah, the big one. We all asked that when we arrived.”
“And?”
Her mind was lost in the sky.
He followed her gaze, but it was empty, only a few stray clouds.
“Something is coming. Jai calls it the Rise.”
He nodded. “He mentioned it yesterday. What is it?”
She took his hand, meeting his gaze with her own. “It’s the reason we’re at Mountainhome. The reason the creatures of Tharassas are gathering. It’s the end of all things.” Her words hung in the air between them.
“That’s dark.” Farking dark. “But what does it mean?”
“Tharassas had a long, tortured history before we arrived on the scene four hundred odd years ago. We weren’t the first newcomers.”
He blinked. “What do you mean?”
“The ayvin came long before we did. They’ve almost destroyed the world — twice — and have slumbered for near-ten thousand years.” She looked up at the sky again. “When the twin moons rise together, they’ll reawaken to ravage the planet once more.”
