The Ring Keeper, page 33
Allia went straight to Harrow. “I-Is s-she warm?”
Harrow had the tiny girl tucked inside his jacket. She looked up at them with wide brown eyes. “She’s all right,” he said.
Talon found enough dry wood to start a little fire. Allia huddled desperately close to it, though it wasn’t large enough to put out much heat, and the damp fuel smoked.
“If we do well tonight, we should be near Varda by morning.”
“Varda?” Allia raised her head in alarm. None of them had forgotten their last trip to Varda.
Harrow rubbed the scar on the back of his neck.
“We won’t be going anywhere near the forest,” Talon assured them. “We’ll stay alert anyway. Our path will be straight west toward the Warding. Rest now. I’m going to check our trail.”
Talon hadn’t gone far along their trail before he found demon footprints. His stomach sank. Their detour with the Aran army and the storm must have slowed them down too much. How were they going to escape?
They would have liked to rest longer, but after a brief halt, they struggled on. The sun shone fitfully through a cloudy sky. The day passed all too quickly, and darkness would come early.
As they rode, Talon heard the hiss of an arrow fly past his ear. Ahead of him, Harrow ducked another shaft that nearly hit his head.
“Go!” Talon yelled, urging the wagon horse into a gallop. He followed Harrow, who had turned to the side and raced into the trees. More arrows flew by, and a few Aran soldiers tried to block their path. Harrow drew his sword. His other arm was covering his chest protectively to defend the baby. He severed the shaft of a spear aimed at him and slashed with his sword at a second attacker. Then he was past them, and Talon drew his own blade. A few quick strokes and they were through.
They galloped on, not sure how quickly the pursuit would reach them.
The horse lurched violently beneath Talon and Allia, throwing them as it fell. He released the weapon in his hand and rolled as he struck the ground. His elbow and side throbbed with pain, and he would have bruises, but he wasn’t seriously hurt. Allia had landed a few paces away.
She was gasping, trying to catch her breath from the shock. Her forehead was scraped, and she was holding her shoulder.
“How bad is it?” he asked.
She shook her head. “It’s not bad.” Talon offered his hand to help her to her feet.
He went back to retrieve his sword and returned it to its sheath. Looking for the horse, he saw it lying on the ground, a troop of Aran soldiers not far behind. “Run!” He followed Allia into the trees. The light was already fading. They turned aside and hid in the brush.
The sound of their rapid breathing faded into quiet. Talon listened carefully, his hand on the hilt of his sword. But he didn’t hear any footsteps approaching. They waited until full dark had fallen. Talon slipped from cover to look around. “I think it’s safe.”
Allia crawled out after him, and they went on.
They’d walked for an hour before they found Harrow again. He expelled a sigh of relief when he saw them. “I was beginning to fear the worst,” he admitted.
“They’re not far behind us,” Talon said. “We need to move.”
Harrow nodded. “Will you ride for a while, Allia?”
“Cirana?” she asked.
Harrow curled his arm around her protectively. “I fed her. She’s just gone to sleep.”
Allia mounted, and they departed. They were all weary, but she seemed almost ready to collapse.
The night grew black and a chill wind came up. The weather was turning bad. Talon listened to the wind. For a moment, he almost thought he’d heard something. But there was no time to investigate. They hurried on.
A short while later, the shriek behind them was plain.
“Demons!” Allia cried, pulling the horse to a stop. “They’re going to find us!” Panic filled her voice. She looked at Talon as if there might be something he could do.
How he wished there was. If only there was a river nearby.
She had depended on him for protection, and he had failed utterly. They weren’t far from the Warding now. But they had no time left.
Tears welled in her eyes. “You can’t let them take Cirana! I would rather die than to know Haldreth has her again.” She glanced behind them into the forest. “It’s too late. They’ve caught up.”
Allia took in a deep breath. “I’ll stay here,” she said, dismounting. “You and Harrow take the horse and get Cirana away! Please! Two people on a horse might outrun them. And I can’t let Haldreth have the ring.”
“You take the ring and go. It won’t come off your finger,” Talon protested.
Allia took a deep breath. “If we do that, we’ll all be killed because of me. I have to stay behind. But Haldreth can’t have the ring.” Her desperate gaze fell on him. “I need your help.”
Nausea churned in his stomach. Talon couldn’t do what she asked. He just couldn’t.
She hugged and kissed the child in Harrow’s arms. “I love you, Cirana.” She looked up at Harrow. “Thank you for taking care of her.”
He nodded in response.
Allia moved quickly, though her hands shook visibly. “Give me your pack,” she instructed Talon.
He obeyed, and she grabbed it, unstrapped the axe from the side, and rummaged through the interior. She pulled out an old piece of cloth. Putting the pack down, she spread one of its leather straps across a rock. She seized the front of Talon’s jacket and pulled him to face her. “You have to do it. Now.” She placed the axe in his hand.
“I can’t—” he choked out the words, staring at the weapon.
She met his eyes, and they both knew there was no other way to prevent Haldreth from regaining the power of the ring. Could he create more demons with it? Other dark magic? Talon clenched his jaw. He took the axe, and she extended her ring finger across the leather strap and onto the rock, tucking the rest of her fingers beneath its edge.
“Are you sure?”
Allia nodded resolutely.
Talon gripped her hand, holding it in place. It only took one swift stroke. The blade was sharp and his aim was true. He wadded the cloth and held it firmly against the wound, guiding Allia’s other hand to hold it in place. The severed finger had fallen to the ground, and he picked up the ring that had landed beside it.
Talon found a length of cord and threaded the ring onto it. He tied the ends securely and handed it to Harrow, who still held the tiny girl.
“You have to keep the ring away from Haldreth and see that Cirana’s safe,” Allia said through clenched teeth. “Go! They’ll be here any moment!”
A flash of lightning illuminated the forest. Thunder roared and rain began to fall.
Talon put his hand on Harrow’s shoulder. “That horse can’t carry both of us. Guard the baby with your life,” he instructed. “Ride hard back to the Warding. Take this to Callonen.” He gave Harrow a piece of parchment.
“No,” Harrow protested. “You have a family back there waiting for you. I’ll stay. You take the horse and the child and run.”
Talon shook his head. “I can’t do that. Go now, Harrow. There’s no time.”
Harrow tucked the baby securely into his jacket, jumped on the horse, and disappeared between the trees.
Talon knelt beside Allia. “We need to find someplace we can defend.”
“I told you to go!”
“Harrow is gone,” he answered.
Allia blinked. “You were supposed to go with him!”
“If I was going to put anyone else on that horse, it would have been you.”
“Talon, they’ll be here any moment. You have to run!”
“What about you?”
“It’s too late for me.”
Talon offered her his hand. “We knew he would hunt us down, and we almost reached the Warding. We’ve stopped him from creating more demons. Cirana will escape.”
She stared up at him, tears on her face. But she took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet.
“We’ll find someplace defensible. Let’s go.” As they hurried through the forest, a shriek echoed through the trees.
Talon led them toward a rocky outcropping. It wasn’t much, but better than nothing. It had a ledge ten or twelve feet off the ground. Above that, a cliff face rose. He climbed up, turning back to help Allia. When they were both on the ledge, he dropped his pack and checked his weapons. Lightning flashed again. In the brief illumination, he saw several black shapes.
Allia leaned against the rock wall, her wounded hand held close to her chest. Talon wished for some way to ease her suffering. A shriek sounded through the rain.
“Talon!” He turned to face her. “Thank you for all you’ve done to help me.”
He nodded, pulling the axe from his back. “Stay against the cliff,” he instructed, drawing his sword. “I’ll keep you safe as long as I can.”
He wiped the rain from his eyes with the back of his hand. The demons were at the base of the rocks now. They snarled and growled, almost as if they were talking to each other. He gripped his sword in one hand and his axe in the other.
Before the first demon was fully onto the ledge, Talon struck it with his axe. When the blade made contact, the blow felt solid enough. The demon shrieked, but it sounded angry rather than hurt. Talon planted his boot against it and shoved it away with all his strength. It disappeared, falling backward out of sight.
Another demon had climbed onto the ledge while he had been focused on the first. It slashed at him with razor-sharp claws, but he blocked them with his sword. It forced him toward the edge until Talon was only a foot away from the brink.
More demons were climbing up. Talon felt searing pain as their claws dug into his feet and legs. They jerked him off balance and shrieked in triumph as they pulled him off the ledge.
Allia
ALLIA STOOD with her back against the stone, her breathing ragged with panic. She stared at the demon, waiting for it to attack. It snarled at her, but came no closer. Another demon joined the first, and they conversed with each other in their language, but neither of them attacked. She remained frozen, leaning against the cliff face, the icy rain drenching her.
The light grew silvery, and the rain changed to snow. She was so cold and exhausted. Allia could no longer feel her feet or hands. Even the harsh throbbing of her injury faded. She sank to her knees. The demons watched her, keeping their distance. Why? Did Haldreth want her alive? Maybe he intended to make her wish the demons had torn her apart.
Allia brushed the snowflakes from her eyes. She saw torches coming through the forest. Demons didn’t carry torches. And whoever carried the lights was not fleeing from them. Instead, they came nearer.
She didn’t want to go back to Ara. Allia scanned the bare cliff face. Nowhere to hide. Her mind too numb to come up with any sort of plan, she stumbled toward the edge, thinking only that she had to climb down and get away.
A black shape loomed on one side of her. Blindly, she lurched away from it, her feet stumbling against the rocks. One foot came down on air, throwing her off balance. She clawed at the rocks with her good hand, trying to hold on, but she found nothing solid.
The rocky ground below struck hard. The falling snowflakes turned into bright points of light. She lay trying to breathe.
Run. She needed to run. Her limbs refused to obey. She couldn’t hold on to consciousness any longer.
From a long way off, she heard a man scream in agony.
Talon? She had to help him.
Somehow…
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Year of Warding 23, White City, Sarine
Callonen
CALLONEN WOKE to see the light of dawn shining through the bedroom windows. Five weeks had passed since Talon left for Ara. And it had been over three weeks since the weight of the Warding had settled on Callonen. Despite the early hour, he jumped from his bed and hastily threw on clothes. At least today, the Warding had provided him with vital information.
Harrow had just crossed the border.
Callonen threw open the door to see Tess standing outside it holding a breakfast tray as if she’d been about to knock. He took the tray from her. “Tess. Harrow’s come back into the Warding.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Is he all right?”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “He’s hurt. I’m not sure how bad it is, though. I’m sorry.”
“We have to help him,” Tess exclaimed.
“Yes, of course we do. Will you ride with me?” Callonen asked.
Her mouth tightened into a determined line. “Yes. I’ll be ready in a few moments.”
Callonen hurried to the rooms occupied by Mirithel and Talon when he was home. He knocked. Mirithel opened the door in a dressing gown, her golden hair unbound. “Emperor? What’s happened?”
“Harrow has come back into the Warding.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened. “Then Talon should be with him. They were together. Will you please tell me when Talon is safely inside?”
“I will, of course, Lady Mirithel,” Callonen said. “But so far, he has not come back. I am riding immediately to find Harrow. You may join me if you choose.”
She stared at him. “It will take us a few moments to be ready. Where is Harrow?”
“He wasn’t far from Varda when he crossed the border. We will ride that way.”
“Very well, Emperor. We will be ready soon.”
Callonen made swift preparations, and soon he, Tess, Mirithel and Zarek were riding out of the city with a detachment of guards. The winter day was chilly, with a biting wind blowing from the north. They rode all day and spent the night at an outpost. At first light, they were riding again. Tess looked as though she’d barely slept. She directed her horse close to him. “Emperor Callonen, is Harrow still alone? Where are the others?”
Callonen shook his head. “I don’t know.” He would have sensed if Allia or Talon had been there. He kept hoping they might cross the border. Maybe they still would.
At the end of another long day of riding, they passed through a line of rocky hills and reached an army camp. It had a few permanent buildings clustered against the base of the hill. Rows of tents surrounded it. All the soldiers stood at attention and saluted as the emperor and his guard appeared.
“We’re close,” Callonen assured Tess. “He’s not far away.”
“Your orders, Emperor?” the sergeant in command asked.
“We are here to assist an injured soldier,” Callonen said.
The man seemed confused. “Who? Where?”
“If you and a few of your men will follow me?”
“Of course, Emperor.”
Darkness fell, and several soldiers brought lanterns. Even in the dark, Callonen knew exactly where he was going. Only a short distance outside the camp, the light fell on a solitary figure limping slowly toward them. His shoulders were hunched, and his head hung down.
When he heard the horses, he raised his eyes to squint into the light.
Callonen dismounted and ran to him. “Harrow!”
“Prince Callonen?” Harrow stared in disbelief. “How did I get to the city?” His clothes were torn and bloodstained, and he no longer carried any weapons or gear.
Callonen pulled Harrow’s arm around his shoulders to support him. Tess did the same on his other side. They helped him to the emperor’s horse. Several soldiers came forward to lift him into the saddle. Callonen mounted behind him and held him steady.
In only a few moments, they were back at the camp. Two soldiers lowered Harrow from the horse. Callonen and Tess followed them as they carried the wounded man into the building. It was much warmer inside.
They set him carefully down on a cot. In the lantern light, beads of sweat stood out on his forehead.
Tess knelt beside the bed and took his hand. “Harrow!”
He turned to look at her, just now realizing she was there. “Tess?”
She smiled and held his hand in both of hers.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked. “You’re in danger. The demons aren’t far away.”
“It’s all right now,” Tess said. “You’re home safe. We’ll take care of you.”
“They can’t get into the Warding,” Callonen said.
Harrow nodded. “Then I did it,” he muttered. “I made it home.”
Lady Mirithel entered the room and stood beside Callonen at the end of the cot. Her expression was strained as she stared down at the man who had spent so much time with her husband.
Harrow didn’t notice her, but looked up at Callonen. “I didn’t want to leave them. Allia knew the demons were hunting her. And she begged me to take her baby somewhere safe. I couldn’t stop her from going back to meet them. I told Talon to take the child and run, but he made me leave instead. I had to get the girl to safety.” Harrow’s eyes closed.
The healers gathered around him. “Give us some room, please,” one said, ushering Tess away from the side of the cot. She came to stand with Callonen and Lady Mirithel.
As the healers worked on Harrow, removing his torn shirt and jacket, they revealed long gashes crossing his body. They shifted him onto his side, revealing more slashes across his back. The wounds were a sickly dark shade and badly swollen.
Callonen heard a sharp intake of breath next to him. He turned and saw the color drain from Tess’s face as she got a closer look at Harrow’s injuries, and her hands clenched into fists. Callonen put a comforting arm around her shoulders. The small gesture appeared to break her control, and she began to cry. He hugged her, sensing her grief as it added to his own.
Mirithel appeared to be digesting the words the injured man had spoken.
Awareness of what Harrow had just said dawned on Callonen. Allia had gone back to meet them. And Talon had still been with her, trying to protect her to the end. Allia and Talon were dead. Callonen’s mind conjured images of her body, torn by demon claws, her blood draining onto the ground, the light leaving her eyes. And Talon, fighting bravely to the end, even if there was no way to win. “She’s never coming back.” Callonen felt his heart break as he spoke the words.
