The Language Of The Trees/ An Evalyce Novel [#NaNoWriMo16]

Chapter 10: Allegiance

Dashmar, Year of the Lion Claw, 1727 CE

    Ari and I ate at our wagon that evening. The Irontail Dashmari were reluctant to let us near the packhouse and we weren't yet ready to press our luck. We ate, and we waited, keeping an eye out for Reykoff to bring the captives' supper.

    The smell of woodsmoke and cooking food wafted by on the gentle autumn breeze that had picked up. Down in the plains, the autumn winds would just now be carrying the hints of winter to come. Here in the high mountains of Dashmar, the wind promised frost. Sounds of low chatter came to us from the packyard bonfire, and from within the packhouse itself. Guttural though it may be, the language of the Dashmari was soothing in its rise and fall. It carried within it the growliness of the frost wolves.

    Reykoff emerged from the packhouse as dusk was falling, carrying two bowls and a leather water canteen. As he made his way across the packyard, Ari and I stood, making ready. Reykoff nodded to us, a genial gesture that might have been taken for a greeting. It was not. It was a signal to us that he had managed to surreptitiously spread our plan to his pack.

    Several Dusk Moon Dashmari trailed out of the pack house, spreading through the yard, gathering by the bonfire, or joining friends and mates. It was a typical evening scene of which we had experienced among the Red Fern pack, save that there were no cubs that came out to play.

    Ari and I tensed as Reykoff entered the Muyningar, followed by one of the guards. A few Dusk Moon wolves had drifted closer to the building.

    "Lovas, we are engaging." I heard Ari's voice through the amplified link. I turned to him, and he nodded, giving me a grim smile.

    A strangled howl came from the Muyningar, followed by the shrieks of young children. For a moment, the vespertine sounds of forest and packyard were silenced. The Irontail guard stumbled through the doorway, gasping. Blood marred his face, staining his jaws. A dagger hilt protruded from his torso, thrust up under the ribs. Surprise flicked across his face, before he sank to the ground. With a last rattling breath, the guard succumbed to the wound. The stunned silence lasted a few seconds more and then the storm broke loose.

    The Dusk Moon wolves that had gradually been edging toward the Muyningar turned on the last Irontail guard and pulled him down. More Irontail poured out of the packhouse at the commotion. Taking in their two dead packmates, they howled, launching themselves forward.

    Ari and I moved to join against them, slipping into our alter forms, and enabling protective shields. From high in the trees came the shrill scream of our soot eagle companion. A dark blur fell from the sky, striking one Irontail on the head. He crumpled, and fell still. I flexed my wings, throwing them out wide, and flinging two unsuspecting Irontail away. There was another blur, and Ari's barb embedded in another's chest. With a snarl, he flung the wolf away.

   My talons were a weapon, deadly at close range, but it was safer to keep the huge icecrushers at a distance. I slid a narrallym rod from my belt. Drawing upon my magick, I willed the mage-metal to elongate, tapering to a point. I drove the spear through an advancing Irontail. He fell with a gurgle, and I pulled my weapon free.

    Sensing others approach from behind, I drew my wings close about me. Spinning, I flared the left one out, catching my would-be assailants and flinging them away. A blow from behind drove me to my knees, serious damage prevented by my shield. More blows rained down on my protective shield. Too many more, and it would collapse. I spun in the dirt, shrinking the spear down, with the intention of elongating it again into the belly of my attacker.

    I had barely turned and raised the spear, when a sword sheared the Irontail's head from his shoulders. As the body crumpled, I expected to see Ari or one of the Dusk Moon wolves. Instead, I found myself staring up at the big wolf who'd interrupted me in the wagon. He bared his teeth in a savage grin, and turned away, fending off another of his former packmates.

    I scrambled to my feet, somewhat confused by my unexpected ally. I didn't have time to ponder it long, as another Irontail charged me. To the side, I heard my wolf snarl something in Dashmari and the clash of blades.

    Flaring my wings, I braced myself and willed the spear to full-length. My assailant dodged, narrowly avoiding impalement, though the spear opened a bloody rent along his side. He roared in pain, pressing forward. I shrank the spear in time to block a blow from the spiked cudgel the man carried, and lashed out with my claws. The sharp talons caught him across his shoulder and throat.

    I blinked and shook my head as a spray of blood pattered my shield, momentarily blinded me. The man staggered a few steps more before falling to the ground. Sensing movement, I spun, elongating the naryllym rod and throwing it up. Another club slammed into it, setting it to singing, and rattling my teeth. Beyond club and rod, I got my first look at a female icecrusher. As tall as any of her male counterparts, she was almost equally as broad-shouldered.

    The female snarled, drawing the club back for another bone-jarring blow. I back-pedalled, spreading my wings wide. My sudden increase in size startled the woman just long enough for me to bring the rod around and elongate it into a full spear. I braced my legs as she impaled herself.

    Commotion near the packhouse caught my attention. I shrank the rod, letting the body fall to the ground with a dull thud, and turned to find Ari facing the biggest icecrusher I'd seen yet. The man was almost twice as tall as Ari. A thick, white-furred pelt was draped over his shoulders. Attached to the pelt was the head of a true icecrusher wolf, with its very prominent nose horn. When alive, the beast must have been monstrous, because its pelt easily fit the giant Dashmari. He carried an immense war-ax, which he swung at Ari.

    I was more worried for my own safety at the moment. Short of the lucky strike with the ax, Ari was safe from death. He could survive anything save the destruction of his soul-chip. I looked around, eyes narrowed. Every inch of my body was tense, heart thundering in my chest. I took a few deep breaths, realising that I was no longer in danger. There were few of the Irontail left, and those all on the far side of the clearing. Dusk Moon wolves swarmed around them.

    The giant Irontail facing Ari snarled and plowed forward, swinging the ax in broad sweeps. A back-handed blow knocked Ari to the ground. He was already jumping to avoid the next blow, when my wolf seemed to materialise from nowhere to block the ax-strike. Neither seemed to notice Ari's disappearance, as their focus shifted to each other. Blows were traded in a flurry that ended with my poor wolf's arm sheared clean off at the elbow. The Irontail's triumph was to be short-lived. His gleeful howl was abruptly cut short and he looked down in confusion to find Ari's barb protruding from his chest.

    Ari wrenched the barb free, joining me where I was already kneeling by our fallen ally.

    "Get it over with, Argosians," the Irontail ground out, voice thick with pain.

    "Don't be ridiculous," I snapped. "You helped us." I cradled his stump in gentle hands, intending to weave a shield to seal it, but he jerked away with a snarl.

    "I am a broken warrior, and a traitor to my people. How long do you think I'll last here?"

    "Why did you help us, then," I snarled back. When I reached for his arm a second time, he meekly submitted to my ministrations.

    "Because we had no right to interfere. We should never have left the high peaks. If the border packs gain benefit from trade, why should we have cared.

    "If you will not kill me, what do you intend to do with me?"

    "Take you with us," Ari said from beside me.

    The wolf snorted. "I'm not interested in being a prisoner, Argosian."

    "Not what I had in mind, Dashmari. Rather, a job proposition. Name's Arius, by the way, not Argosian. This is Maia."

    The Irontail turned away from us, lips pressed together. His remaining hand curled into a fist.

    "Rykkyr," he muttered, relaxing the fist and resting his hand on his chest."What job could you possibly have for a one-armed wolf?"

    "Well, information would be nice. We'd not heard of your people until recently," Ari said.

    "Kill me now." Rykkyr's lips pulled back in annoyance.

    "But, you won't be one-armed for long, if you let us help you," Ari continued, as if Rykkyr hadn't spoken. "Then, well, then I have a quite different job in mind."