To Hold Back The Dark - Chapter Thirteen
The Morvalian group traveled quickly and the landscape passed by much faster for Michael than it had when he and Allanah had exited the mountains not so many days ago. He wished he had this horse for that trip, it would have made things much easier. Then he felt guilty for not missing his old companion. Maybe he was just still numb from it all. He had seen death many times and many times he had caused death, but nothing he had ever seen had quite prepared him for that blackness and the feelings it caused. He suddenly shivered, as much from the memory as from the increasing cold. He did notice that as they went higher, the amount of snow increased and the temperature seemed to plummet as the winds picked up speed. Michael didn't complain though. He had been cold before and would, God willing, be cold again.
Mark edged his horse over to Michael's. "Are we near your cave yet?" he asked.
"I think so. The landscape looks familiar, even if is covered with snow."
"You saw it before when it was under snow, so that should make it easier for you."
"Yes. It would be much harder to find that cave if I had only seen it bare. I'll be on the look-out for it."
"Good." Mark pulled away from him.
Michael scanned the area around him, but saw no sign of the cave. He did notice; however, that the once clear sky was now cloud laden and looked as if it would snow. Was there some reason why it snowed each time he was in this section of the Azures? Was the weather connected to the "Black Thing" as David and the others simply referred to it? Michael was no coward, but he wished he was back in Tralik, safe, sound and warm in his barracks room.
They road on until Michael finally spotted the cave. He stopped his horse and the others followed suit. "There it is. I'm sure it's the one. See, there's a stream down there."
They all alit from the horses.
"Luke, Josah, stay with the horses," Mark ordered.
They nodded and watched as the others ascended the path to the cave. Michael was a little surprised that not much seemed to have changed since he and Allanah had been there. The low fence of firewood stood a silent vigil just this side of the hides that they had used to create a door. Oskar and Paul looked around the area then Oskar returned to the group as Paul headed to the stream.
"There are no animal tracks leading to this cave," he reported. "Of course, that doesn't mean that there isn't anything inside already."
Mark nodded. "There's only one way to find out friends."
Mark walked to the opening and slowly pulled back one of the hides, then he entered.
"Come on in. There's not much light in here, but it is empty."
Michael led the others inside. Mark had concocted a magical light and Michael was shocked to see that everything in the cave was exactly as he had left it. Not a piece of meat was touched. He must have said something out loud about that because Mark answered him.
"No other animal will go into a place that carries the scent of that breed of wolf."
"I don't blame them." Michael saw the burned line on the floor from their firewall. Then he saw other stains on the floor; bloodstains. Allanah's blood. He watched as Mark knelt down by the bloodstains.
"Is all of this blood Allanah's?" he asked.
"No. The wolf bled quite a bit, too."
Mark touched the stains gingerly, then placed his hand fully over one of them. He murmured a spell and then shuddered.
"It is as I thought. It is the wolf that our legends speak about. The two of you were lucky to leave this cave alive."
"I know. Believe me, I know."
Paul entered the cave. "There are no wolf tracks down by the stream. No other animal prints either. And it's beginning to snow."
"Heavily?" Mark asked.
"Yes."
"Then we should stay here. We may be able to make it further, but those following us might not. We will have to take turns guarding the horses."
"I'll tell Luke and Josah." Paul left them.
"I'll get a fire going." the one they called Old Worrell said as he knelt down by the remains of Michael and Allanah's fire.
"It's a big enough cave, but I imagine we'll be feeling a little crowded later when we are all in here," Maria commented.
"Should we build a shelter for the horses?" Michael asked, not wanting to think about the fact that he was going to have to stay in the cave once more.
"It's being taken care of, don't worry," Mark assured him.
"I'm not worried, I just wanted something to do."
Mark looked intently at Michael, then nodded. "I understand. Why don't you and Williard get more firewood? It will definitely be needed for the horses."
"Good idea." Michael left with Williard, glad for the moment to be away from Mark, and very glad to be out of that cave. When Mark had looked at him, Michael had felt as if Mark were trying to look into his very soul. What was worse, was that Michael was sure that Mark had seen just how much the cave upset him.
The others had moved the horses in as close as they could to the side of the hill and were now constructing a corral around them, complete with a temporary shelter on the side nearest the cave.
"We're going for firewood for the horses, where do you want the fire?" Michael asked Oskar.
"I think we'd best have several fires. Maybe four in all; one on each side."
Michael nodded, even as he remembered that fire did not deter this particular breed of wolf. "We'll be back."
As the snow thickened, he and Williard went in search of wood.
Later, as Michael sat with the others around the fire inside the cave, he remembered something.
"Mark?"
"Yes?"
"Earlier you said that animals never went where they smelled this breed of wolf."
"That's right."
"When I brought Allanah to your Inn, you told said that you had heard of huge wolves, but that they were only a legend. If that were true, then how do you now know so much about them?"
Michael immediately felt the eyes of the others upon him, but he chose to ignore them. It was about time that he got some straight answers from Mark Wolfson.
"That night, I had no reason to think that you'd really be back. We all know of these wolves; they are evil killers. I don't think any of us have ever seen them, though. As we were growing up, our parents stressed to us the importance of being indoors at night. We've heard them, though. They do howl quite a bit, especially when hungry. The people in our little corner of Morvalia learnt long ago to breed horses strong enough and fast enough to withstand these wolves."
"Why didn't you appeal to your King for help? Surely something can be done to eliminate these creatures?"
"We are overlooked by the rest of the kingdom; we prefer it that way. King James does know about the wolves, but we have not asked him to take care of the problem for us. All of the magic users in our area have been studying ways to rid our land of these creatures forever."
"I see. So they aren't a new phenomenon then?"
"No. They've been around for over thirty years," Old Worrell told him.
"Since Morgan Arden was on the throne of Trayille?" Michael asked.
"At least since then. Some believe that they were his minions, created to do his killing. There has never been any sign of them in Trayille or Marille, though," Mark told him.
Michael nodded. "Okay, next question. Why were you behaving like a loon last night and the night before?"
Mark laughed. "The entire time I was doing that, I kept praying that you and Allanah wouldn't give me away. It was a fine performance, wasn't it?"
"It was. Did it achieve it's purpose?"
"I hope so. I really hope so. Let's just say that someone needed to be fooled, and my performance was necessary."
Michael nodded just as they heard the sound of approaching riders.
"Aha, this must be your friends," Mark stood and he and Michael went outside.
Sure enough, the group from Trayille was just arriving.
"Welcome to camp," Mark called out to David, "Our lunch is cooking."
"Good. Whatever it is, I'll like it, especially if it's hot," David said as he walked up to them. "This snow is going to interfere with our plans."
"Yes. It is coming down rather heavily, isn't it?" Mark commented, "Still, even if it's snowing in the morning, we should probably continue. We'll just have to change out plans and travel in one huge group."
"Well, we'll see what the morning brings." David turned to Michael. "So, this is the cave?"
"Yes. It looks like it's going to shelter all of us tonight."
"I'll be in as soon as I see to my horse. Take Ardis and the Torchuk's in, okay? This weather is a little rough on them, I'm afraid."
"Sure. Ardis, Ciris, Cosima, follow me." Michael tried to sound light-hearted as he called them. As they walked up to him, he was trying to look for Allanah. He knew that she must be having misgivings about staying at the cave, too.
"I hope it's warm in there," Cosima said, her teeth chattering.
"It is." Michael parted the skins and let them enter first, then he followed. Mark walked with David to the corral.
"It will be best to keep a guard on the horses for the rest of the day and tonight. I figured we could take turns, that way everyone gets some warmth and rest."
"Good idea. How many guards do you think we'll need?"
"At least four. We have arranged for four fires, as you can see, so the horses and guards will get some light and warmth tonight.
David nodded. "I think we should also place some warding spells around the area. We have enough magicians to do it right. I don't want a repeat of that wolf attack."
"None of us do. We'll take every precaution necessary," Mark said as he watched Allanah remove the saddle from her horse.
"This is not easy for Michael and Allanah," David had noticed the direction of Mark's gaze.
"No. There is something you should know about the wolves."
"Sounds serious."
"It is." Mark led David a little bit away from the corral. "I have heard that those bitten by these wolves are poisoned by the bites. It isn't a killing poison, but if the wolf should return, the victim is helpless to fight it. It's as if he or she is paralyzed."
"And you think Allanah is in danger?"
"If what I heard is true, then she is in a lot of danger. If she should be out and that wolf sees her, she won't be able to run or call for help. But, as I said, this is what I've heard. I've never encountered a person who was attacked and lived to tell about it."
"How many victims have you buried?"
"I've buried a lot of bones, because that's all that was left. My father included. I know that being in that cave tonight will be rough for Allanah, but I don't think she should be outside."
"Definitely not. I wonder if Michael was bitten or scratched? He never said."
"He never told me, if he was. His concern was for Allanah. We should ask him."
David looked grim. "We have to tell Allanah about the danger. She has a right to know."
Mark mutely nodded. "I'll tell her now."
They went back into the corral and as David began to unload his horse, Mark approached Allanah, who was now helping Corin with his things.
"Allanah, there is something I must tell you. It concerns your attack here."
"You make it sound serious."
"It is. Or, at least, it could be. Most of what I know about these wolves, I know from legend and rumor, not from fact."
Mark told the two of them what he had just told David. He wasn't surprised when Allanah wearily slumped against her brother. Corin's reaction was automatic as he put a protective arm around her shoulders.
"Nothing will happen to you, Allanah. This I swear to you," Corin vowed.
"And I," Mark added. "Under the circumstances, you won't be standing guard out here."
"Absolutely not," she agreed.
"Allanah, was Michael bitten or scratched? If so, he could be in the same danger."
"I don't think he was. He never mentioned it. He was so upset over my injuries. Some of my cuts came from his sword, and he blamed himself for that. The way that wolf was on me, there was no way to hit it without also hitting me."
"I know that it will be hard for you to stay inside there," Mark said, "Still, it is necessary."
"I understand. Do these wolves attack during the day?"
"Not that I've ever heard."
"Then I'll stay out here awhile. I can pull my guard duty during the daylight hours."
"If you wish. I'll take your things up to the cave." Mark picked up her saddle and saddle bag and walked up to the cave.
Rhea, Aline, and David had already gone up, so the only ones in the corral were Oskar, Josah, Prince John, Corin, and herself.
"I'll stay out here with you," Corin said.
"That's not necessary. You should go and get something to eat while there's still food available. Michael's already up there and Rufus will be here soon. Between the two of them, there won't be much left."
"I doubt if Michael's eating much right now," Corin said.
"Bad memories have never effected his appetite before, why should they now?" she tried to sound light-hearted.
Corin smiled. "You're probably right, but, I don't want to leave you out here alone."
"I'm not alone. Oskar and Josah are here and so is Prince John. I'll be fine. Honest. Go and eat."
"If you insist."
"I do."
"I'll be back."
She nodded. "I'm counting on it."
Corin picked up his belongings and went into the cave. Allanah went to stand by one of the fires.
"I overheard what Mark told you," John said as he, too, warmed his hands by the fire.
"Scary, isn't it?" she tried to smile.
"Yes. All of this is scary. It's as if we're all trapped in one huge nightmare. Y'know, if it wasn't for the danger, I would enjoy being out here in the snow with you."
"The snow makes everything seem so calm, doesn't it? So peaceful and clean." Her gold eyes were shining as she looked around.
"Yes. Maybe someday we'll have a chance to enjoy a snowfall in peace. David told me that after Rufus and his bunch get here, we'll be placing warding spells around the area. That should make the night a little safer."
"I hope so. Let's just hope the wolves can be stopped by spells," she fervently said.
"It seems to work at home," Oskar told her as he came up to warm his hands. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to you. We've enough magicians to keep the devil himself at bay tonight."
Allanah and John couldn't help but laugh, which was Oskar's intent.
"Thank you for your concern, Oskar," she smiled at him.
Oskar felt her smile warm his heart, but then, Elven women always had that effect on him. He bowed low. "Anything for you, my lady. Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
John grinned. "Indeed, it is. Anything at all, Allanah. Anything at all."
Allanah's eyes met his, and once again, she felt it all the way to her soul. She wanted to put her arms around him, hold him tight and tell him that everything would be all right. But, one didn't do that to the heir to the throne.
"If you two are all right down here, Josah and I will go up and get our lunch," Oskar said.
"That's okay. We'll be fine." John assured him.
Oskar and Josah went to eat. The snow continued to fall heavily, its whiteness trying to fill in the horses' tracks the moment they moved. John moved closer to Allanah.
"Listen," he ordered.
She strained her ears, but didn't hear anything. The horses weren't even making any noise.
She shook her head. "I don't hear anything."
"I know. For just a few minutes, we can pretend that we're all that's here in these woods. That we're all that's here in the world."
"Wouldn't that be nice," she murmured.
He looked down at her. "Yes, it would, wouldn't it? You and me and no one else. I could learn to like that."
Allanah suddenly wanted nothing more than to move closer to John. To let him envelope her inside of his cape and hold her close. The suddenness of the thought scared her and she backed away from him.
"Well, there's one thing for sure. With all this stillness, we'll definitely hear Rufus McNair before we see him."
"That's true anytime. You're shivering, Allanah. Why don't you go on inside and get warm?"
She shook her head. "I'm not ready to go in yet."
"Then let me keep you warm. My cloak is big enough for both of us."
He read my mind, she thought. "Silly ass, he's only being considerate so you. They all are," she angrily told herself.
"That's not necessary," she told him, "I'll be fine. The shiver was more from my memories of here than from being cold, honest."
"If you say so. It is a fine cloak though. Lined with rabbit fur, and very, very soft. Very warm, too, I might add. You've never seen a cold rabbit, have you?" he asked with a grin.
She laughed. "No, I haven't. If I get cold, I will most surely take you up on your offer."
"Anytime, Allanah."
Allanah had to look at him for quite a long time before deciding that his offer was indeed made out of friendship and not from ulterior motives. They had been friends for such a long time that it struck her as rather strange for her to think of him as anything else.
By the time Rufus and the rest of Marillians arrived, the snow was laying thick upon the ground. It was clear that no one was traveling any further this day.
"Allanah, my dear, you are a sight for sore eyes," Rufus boomed as he alit from his steed.
"As are you," she smiled, "Welcome to camp."
"Thank you. I hadn't figured to be making camp before noon, but God has other plans for us."
"It looks that way, doesn't it?" John asked. After eating their lunch, John and Allanah had rejoined Oskar and Josah on watch.
"I hope that lunch is ready. Fighting off the snow and cold has made me hungry," Rufus declared.
"There's a nice stew waiting for you in the cave. You can leave your horses to our care if you wish. We can bring up your things," Allanah offered.
"That's very kind of you, dear, but we always tend to our horses first." Rufus declared as he began to strip his horse down. The rest of his party followed his lead and within minutes they were all in the cave, sitting down to a hot lunch.
"Well, strange weather for November, isn't it?" Rufus asked as he watched his bowl being filled.
"It does tend to snow earlier in the mountains, but we aren't high enough in for it to be snowing this heavily," Mark said. "I fear that other forces are at work here."
"Every action has an opposite effect. This is as true with magic as with everything else. A lot of magic is being used to create and control our "Black Thing", and there are bound to be repercussions." Ardis said.
All of the magic users nodded, remembering their lessons.
"Any sign of those white wolves or wolf?" Princess Margaret asked.
"Not yet. That doesn't mean that we won't be paid a visit after dark. That's when they like to come out. I think we should place a large warding spell around this area for tonight," Mark said.
Rufus nodded. "That's an admirable idea. I hate the fact that those wonderful horses of yours are out there and exposed."
"They aren't as vulnerable as you think, sir." Mark grinned. "They've been especially bred and trained to survive against those white fiends. The spells, plus our guards, should keep them quite safe tonight."
Rufus nodded since his mouth was full and he couldn't talk. He was quickly warming up, as was everyone else. The cave was a decent size, but with twenty-two people inside, it was rather crowded. Still, what with the weather and all, it was a comfortable feeling of closeness, and everyone was feeling fairly safe in their shelter.
Outside though, it was a different story. The wind had picked up, much as it had the night Allanah and Michael had stayed there. The snow was seemingly blowing in every direction at once and visibility was almost non-existent. Still, Allanah had the feeling that they were being watched. She placed her hand above her brow, creating a shield against the blowing snow as she scanned the woods for a sign of anything. It was a futile effort. For some reason, she kept looking to the west, but as far as she could tell, there wasn't anything there. No normal animal would be out in this weather, but then again, it wasn't a normal animal that she was looking for. It was a monster. She knew it was out there, waiting for her. His cuts were as healed as hers, and he was ready for her.
"Allanah!"
The sharp sound of someone yelling her name made her stop. She looked about with wonder. Somehow, and for a reason she had no knowledge of, she had walked away from the corral and the others. John quickly caught up to her.
"You shouldn't wander off alone. With this snow you could get lost very easily." He couldn't hide the worry in his voice.
Allanah numbly nodded. Was that was the beast was up to? Luring her away from camp until she was so far from her friends that she would be easy prey once the hidden sun set?
John was feeling very scared as he looked at Allanah. Her face and eyes were blank and he was sure that she had not wandered away on her own. Well, he was damned if he was going to lose her to a mere wolf. He could sense that he was coming very close to getting her to see him as someone other than Prince John, the Crown Prince and John, her friend. He had a chance for happiness with her, and he was willing to fight Heaven and Hell for that chance.
"C'mon. You're going inside."
"I don't want to be inside," she stubbornly said.
"Too bad. It's too cold and dangerous for you to stay out here."
He grabbed her upper arm and literally pulled her up the slope to the cave, leading her inside. For Allanah, it was as if she were reliving that attack. It all seemed so clear to her. She didn't realize that she was about to scream until she heard John's voice whispering in her ear.
"It's all right, Allanah. You have friends in here and you will be safe. It's all right."
She could feel his arm tighten around her shoulders, pulling her body close to his as he walked her to the back of the cave. She didn't even notice it when John motioned for Corin and Aline to follow them.
John pulled her down to the ground where Aline had already spread out Allanah's bedroll.
"Sit here. Aline, would you be so kind as to get her something warm to drink? I think that they made some tea."
"Of course." Aline hurried to the fire. She didn't like the way her sister looked, and she knew that Allanah was suffering from more than the cold.
"What's wrong?" Corin asked, as he watched John unclasp Allanah's cloak.
"I'm all right," she mumbled.
"One minute she was standing two feet away from me, the next, she was walking away from the corral. It's that wolf, Corin."
Corin didn't need to ask why John would think that. He felt it, too. He reached over and removed his sister's gloves, placing them in her saddlebag.
Aline returned with a cup of steaming tea. She held it out and Allanah took it into her shaking hands.
Aline nodded in response to John's questioning look. She had taken the liberty of dosing her sister's tea with something that would make her sleep.
"I'll stay here with her if you want to get back outside," Aline said.
"Thank you. Don't leave her alone," John said.
"I won't," Aline assured him.
If anyone had noticed what was going on with Allanah, they weren't giving any indication. Corin looked around for Michael, as he was sure that Michael would have had his eyes on Allanah the minute she came through the door. Michael, however, was not in sight. Corin grabbed his cloak and walked outside with John. He was relieved to see Michael in standing guard by the corral and they walked over to him.
"Are you feeling okay?" John asked Michael.
"I'm fine. I just didn't want to be in there. There are too many ugly memories in there."
Corin flushed with anger, his concern for his friend overshadowed by his pain. "Ugly memories? Is that how you remember the taking of my sister's virginity? You stripped her of her innocence, took advantage of her, and all you can say is that you have "ugly memories" of this place?"
Michael sighed deeply. "Obviously, Allanah hasn't told you what happened that night."
"No, she hasn't. Oh, she tried to make you look good by telling me that she initiated the whole thing, but I know you, buddy. You were after her."
"I don't think this is the time or the place to discuss this," John said.
"No offense, Your Highness, but this doesn't concern you. This is between me, and the man I thought was my friend."
"I am your friend. I'm Allanah's friend, too. Dammitt, Corin, I love her. I have always loved her, but I did not take her virginity that night. She is still as pure as the day she was born. It was a close call, though, but I didn't think the timing was right and I wasn't sure that she was offering herself to me out of love. We had been through a really bad time, what with finding that "Black Thing" and then the one survivor who we later had to bury. Having our horses killed was more than a little unnerving. I thought that maybe, just maybe, she was reaching out to me because she was scared and was looking for comfort. I am not the horrible monster that you think I am. When and if Allanah should ever fall in love with me, I want it to be because she truly does love me and not because she thinks we're both going to be dead by morning. And then, to top it all off, she got angry with me because I wouldn't make love to her. Right after that is when that wolf attacked her. I tried my best to kill that thing, but it pained me to know that every other swipe of my sword was hitting her, too. Once we did drive that creature away, I didn't know what to do. She was bloody from head to toe practically, and weak. Now, I've seen her hurt, and I've seen her cut, but I've never seen her like that. I'm not a bloody healer, but I did the best I could for her." Michael turned away from them before they could see just how close he was to crying. Of course, with the wind the way it was, he could always blame his tears on it.
Corin shifted from foot to foot uneasily as he regarded his friend's back and digested all that Michael had said.
"Well," John said, "You've got some apologizing to do. I'll leave you two alone now."
He walked over to the other side of the corral where Oskar was standing.
"Michael, I'm ashamed of myself," Corin admitted. "I was wrong to jump to conclusions. Allanah was right in telling me that what she does or doesn't do is none of my business, and I'm sorry that I didn't trust you. I really don't have such a bad opinion of you. That night, I felt a lot of strong emotions and I assumed the worst. I guess I did that because if it had been me alone with a beautiful woman, I wouldn't have stopped when she offered herself to me."
"That's not true," Michael said, although the wind made it difficult for Corin to hear him.
Michael turned back to face his friend. "You have integrity, Corin. You would not have taken advantage of a lady in a similar situation. I want to put all of this behind me, behind us. You reacted the way you did because you love your sister. I can't stand here and say that I wouldn't react the same way if it were my sister. Friends?"
Corin smiled. "If you're kind enough to forgive me for being a total and complete ass, then yes, we're still friends." They clasped hands and then Corin suddenly pulled Michael to him hugging him and patting him on the back. Michael hit him back just as enthusiastically.
From across the corral, John watched them, a smile upon his face. He hadn't liked it that Corin and Michael were on the outs with each other. Now things were the way they should be. It was also nice to know that Allanah was still untouched. He didn't particularly put a lot of stock in virginity for a prospective bride, but it gave him a thrill of pleasure to think that he might get to be the man who introduced her to the delights of the marriage bed.
"That's a touching scene, ain't it?" Oskar nudged him and pointed to Michael and Corin.
"Yes, it is. It's always a shame when two friends quarrel."
"Ah, but if they're true friends, they'll always make up."
"Yes. They always will, won't they?"
Chapter Fourteen