From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [85]
Averella stopped, and the cart rattled away from her. Surely they were not going into Darkness? Averella had never been there and had no intention of changing that fact.
“How could Darkness be closer?” Gren asked. “It’s been in the same place all my life.”
“It just looks closer, that’s all,” Noam said.
Their voices had grown faint, so Averella drifted after the cart until she caught up.
“How close to the Evenwall is this cabin, anyway?” Noam asked.
“Never wanted to know.” Harnu scooted to the edge of the bench and squinted ahead. “Any moment a stream will enter the south side of the Sideros. We’ll cross just past the fork and follow the stream into the forest. It’s not far then.”
It happened just as Harnu had predicted. The fork came, then a rocky ford. Averella floated right over the gurgling water. After crossing the river, they followed the creek into a thick forest. A bird squawked. Not a pleasant chirp or birdsong, but a caw, like a bird of prey circling a carcass.
Averella looked up. A black bird stared down from a wiry poplar branch, its dark eyes fixed on her. How could a gowzal see her when nothing else could?
When she looked back, two more birds had joined the first. One cawed again. Averella floated to the other side of the cart, keeping it between her and the eerie birds.
Sparrow? Where are you? a man said.
Averella’s ears itched suddenly, as if mosquitoes were biting her. She tried to run her hands over her head, but they only passed through. Her skull suddenly squeezed, as if someone were pressing against both sides with their hands. Sparrow, please. I must know if you’re safe. We’re all very worried. You’ve been stormed. Please answer me.
Master Cham again. I am here, Master Cham. Though I doubt you can hear me.
Sure enough, he did not reply. Averella fought back tears. If only she could understand what it meant to have been stormed. She had some knowledge of herbs and healing, but she had never heard of such an ailment.
The sun vanished behind a cloud, and a chill clapped onto her arms. The forest was so thick here, it seemed like dusk. A branch snapped on her right. Or perhaps it had been a pinecone or acorn falling from a tree.
Thick fog grew around her ankles. Beads of perspiration hung from Master Poe’s chin. Kopay sniffed, ears pointed high, eyes peeled wide. Something concerned him. There were no snakes in this forest. Perhaps a cham bear or wolf? Or perhaps he didn’t like the gowzal either. Averella drew closer to the cart and scanned the forest.
Noam snapped the reins. “Come on, boys. Not far now.”
The horses trudged on, though their hooves danced as if eager to turn and run.
“What’s wrong with them?” Gren asked.
Noam struggled with the reins. “Something’s spooked them.”
Harnu reached back into the cart and lifted a sword. “This won’t do much against a cham, so we’d better pray to Cetheria it’s something smaller.”
Then, as if Arman had closed a lid on the land, everything went black.
Gren screamed. The horses whinnied. Averella groped for Kopay, useless when she could not feel or see anything.
“The gods have cursed us!” Harnu cried. “We should’ve left Lady Averella with Lord Nathak.”
“Don’t be a fool!” Noam said. “It’s only Darkness. I told you it looked closer.”
“How do you know it’s Darkness?” Harnu asked.
“Think, man. What else would it be?”
Silence stretched on until a bird screeched. Something in the trees above clicked like two sticks of wood striking one another.
“Grenny, there should be a lantern back there,” Noam said. “Can you find it?”
The wagon creaked. Metal clanked against wood. “I’ve got it. Just a moment.”
A firesteel sparked. Once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth try, the lantern glowed. The cart swelled into Averella’s view, right where it had been. She still hovered beside Kopay, though her hand had passed into his middle. She pulled it back and folded her arms.
“What should we do?” Gren asked.
“We can’t go back,” Noam said. “Not with Lady Averella