Prophecy of Power: Quarry

Chapter 5

Caroline came awake as someone caught her arms just below her shoulders, helping help her up. Outraged a soldier would presume so much, she turned and…

Emerald eyes regarded her, as soft-looking ears flicked in her direction. An izzat!

He smiled. Pleasantly.

She screamed. "Don't touch me you filthy creature!" She thrashed until she broke his hold, only to collide with Kirsty. They stumbled and hit the ground, Caroline atop Kirsty. The younger girl moaned. Caroline rolled off her friend but stayed protectively close in case the izzat attacked them.

"Princess! He saved us," Kirsty whispered, her breath returning. "He saved us!"

The izzat watched with a hint of humour in his expression while Caroline did her best not to look scared and undoubtedly failed. The clearing was otherwise silent, the trees looming.

"He's an izzat!" Caroline hissed loud enough to regret. The izzat's ears turned, the inhuman movement defining their differences as much as the emerald of his eyes. She struggled to her feet while keeping an eye on the foul creature, this one much paler than the stories she'd heard.

"My Lady, he helped!" Kirsty said as Caroline helped her up. "He… killed the others. Made them…" she shuddered and turned away.

Caroline risked a brief look around. There were two bodies at the edge of the clearing, daggers in their chests. Nearby lay two of their three horses and the soldier, all dead. "Poor man. Poor horses," she whispered. A dagger protruded from the guard's neck, blood visible around it. She still couldn't remember his name.

Caroline's hands shook as she turned to the izzat. "Leave off with you. We've no need for your assistance." Where was Kirsty's horse? She backed half a step, expecting an assault. His ears stood up.

Kirsty whispered, "His ears move."

"I can see that!" she hissed back.

"At least you're capable of acknowledging my help," the izzat said without any accent. "That's a start. My name's Allyn."

Caroline thought she heard an insult.

He pointed with his walking stick. "Between here and your soldiers are about two dozen faspane." At her look of confusion he said, "Your people ignorantly call them izzen. They're not. They're the mortal descendants of my fallen brethren."

Mortal descendants? "All izzen are evil."

Allyn's expression changed marginally. Was that the hint of a smile? It was hard to tell.

"To the west are the men who attacked you. You're cut off."

Caroline backed a step. The more distance between them the better.

His left ear moved, angling toward the trees, though his unsettling emerald eyes never left her. Moonlight pierced the branches, but it wasn't enough to drive the shadows from the izzat.

"All izzen are evil," she repeated, reciting. "Punished by the Higher Realm's hand at the dawn of creation. Izzen have no chance of salvation." She realised her whole body was shaking, and not just from her cold wet clothes.

Allyn sighed. "The Higher Realm punished only those who sought dominance over divine power, and they're long dead. Their descendants, the faspane, are no more or less evil than your kind." He looked around as if he could see well in the gloom. "My student is confusing your trail, but I think you should come with me. I'll see you to a Fandelyon outpost." He held out his free hand. Caroline felt her scalp prickle and the hair on her arms and neck stand up. A chill ran down her back.

"I'll risk the forest," she said. "My soldiers will come for me."

He frowned, though it seemed more in curiosity than irritation. "As you wish."

She hesitated, surprised. She thought he'd insist or threaten.

"You'd better hide then. Wait until dawn before looking for your soldiers, remain quiet, and keep to shelter as much as possible."

"You're leaving?" She wished her voice hadn't betrayed her surprise. She should have tried to make it sound like a command.

"I'm not going to force you to come with me. That would hardly inspire trust."

Caroline grabbed Kirsty's hand for comfort. "Goodbye then." She wouldn't trust him until he was out of sight, and probably not even then.

Allyn touched his forelock. "Good luck. If you need my help, speak my name thrice. I'll hear if I'm not too far."

Magic? Caroline felt another chill, briefly this time, and fought down fear. She thought she saw something from the corner of her vision. "You'll hear nothing from me, izzat," she said coldly.

"As you wish. Goodbye." He walked into the gloomy trees.

"My soldiers are coming for us," Caroline said, shivering as she realised just how cold she was getting. She waited a long moment before going to check on the fallen soldier.

"Of course, My Lady," Kirsty replied. "But what if the," she hesitated, "faspane, get them? Allyn said those faspane were following and there's more of them. Shouldn't we call him back? He said he can get us to safety." Her breath frosted in the air as she wrapped her arms about herself.

Caroline placed her hand over the fallen soldier's face, closing his eyes. She felt guilty for forgetting his name. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the man. His face felt cold already. "But thank you. I'm sure you've earned some respite in the Higher Realm and a better life in your rebirth."

She drew the man's dagger and began digging at the dirt. Kirsty knelt beside her, a stirrup in her hand, and for the next hour they carved out a shallow grave amid the leaves and tree roots. By the time they finally rolled the poor man into the hollow and covered him up, Caroline couldn't help the tears on her face, not just for the man, but for all those who'd died at the road and since, and particularly for Rhonda. Who else had died today? How many more soldiers had since fallen?

She knelt beside Kirsty when they were done, her hands and dress filthy, and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Kirsty. This is my fault. If those soldiers at the road hadn't been after me, Rhonda would still be alive."

"It's not your fault. Please, don't ever say it is."

And yet it was. Caroline remained kneeling beside the shallow grave, one arm around her friend for comfort and warmth. The cold was beginning to make her body ache as Kirsty finally shuddered, grieving with a torrent of silent tears. Caroline held Kirsty tight, not daring to move in case she disturbed her.

It was a long time before the clouds began breaking up and moonlight flooded the trees. Kirsty's tears had stopped, but neither girl moved. Caroline wanted to talk about it, but couldn't find the words to begin. Her breath created huge plumes of mist and the temperature seemed to be dropping as fast as moonlight took hold of the night. She shivered uncontrollably.

Leaves rustled nearby.

"What was that?" Kirsty whispered, eyes puffy from crying.

Caroline watched the moon-shadows, looking for Allyn. So, he wasn't as good as his word. For some reason it angered her. "Nothing," she said, perhaps a little too harshly.

"I thought I heard a noise."

"Don't worry. It's nothing. Listen for horses."

Another rustle sent a feeling of dread over Caroline. Something scraped against bark. It might have been the breeze blowing a branch, if there had been a breeze.

"Do you see anything?" Caroline whispered.

Kirsty shook her head.

Caroline nodded in the opposite direction to the sounds, standing stiffly and drawing Kirsty to her feet. Getting home suddenly seemed an impossible task. She didn't know whether the sound came from the attackers at the road or the cursed faspane, or perhaps even Allyn, but either way, she didn't want to face them.

"Run!" she hissed, fear giving her all the energy she needed.