Hal could barely find her breath, her chest heaving with panic as she was instantly overwhelmed. She had felt the strange beast touch her mind when she had made contact with the deadened earth, like it had been sitting in wait, dormant until she had foolishly and accidentally awakened it. It did not seem to understand language, and there was something frightfully archaic about it, like it was of a time long forgotten, just as Irindriel had said.
Now, it was headed straight for Thorn, who was trying to reach the other half of the group before they were crushed by the snow.
"Run!" she heard Albriech shout as he and Baldor loosened the straps of their knapsacks and letting them fall to the ground, forgotten. The elves quickly followed in making themselves lighter before the Horstsson brothers began to run. Hal followed their direction and saw that there was a small groove in the mountain about 200 meters away. It dawned on her that Albriech and Baldor, living where they had all their lives surrounded by snow and mountains, may at least have some instinct on how to survive this calamity. But having never seen such a thing before, Hal felt the tears of dread burning her eyes, only able to watch helplessly as they tried to outrun the snow, which seemed to be picking up momentum as it gained on them.
Thorn let out a frustrated growl, realizing as Hal had that the emergence of the other creature meant that his priorities had to shift. The others would have to fend for themselves for now. Thorn raised himself up higher, and instead of swooping in to save the rest of the group, dived above their heads and let loose a stream of fire that nearly burned blue with heat and power. The first wall of snow closest to the others released a burst of steam as it blackened and burned, but it wasn't enough to buy them more time like Thorn hoped. Its descent was too fast to stop now.
Just as the group reached the security of the mountain, the snow swept pass them. Ysildea cried out, helpless, as Faelyn hesitated, realizing he was still exposed, just before the snow pummeled into him with the force of heavy stone and he disappeared into its unforgiving depths. Eldrin had tried to throw out a hand for his comrade, but it was Baldor who yanked the elf's arm back down before he too was lost.
Hal watch, transfixed with her hand over her mouth, as the avalanche fell over the edge of the gorge and into the crevice below. However, before the shock wore off, there was an ear-splitting scream and she had to clamp her hands over her ears to block out the horrid sound. She could not fathom that there was another beast capable of making such a sound other than the lethrblaka. And just like the first time she had beheld the Ra'zac and their adult forms, Hal felt a deep-seeded fear, almost primal in nature. Run! Her mind told her, but her feet wouldn't move, her eyes couldn't look away.
Thorn roared in retaliation and released another stream of fire, this time aimed at his new opponent. The thing screeched as though in pain, but when the fire ceased, it did not appear scorched. And after a split second to recover, it charged Thorn again, and Hal could just make out the thick armor that protected its legs and body. It also seemed to have pinchers, thick and massive around its mouth that clicked loudly as the creature and Thorn collided. Now up close, Hal could see that Thorn was still a bit thicker than the body itself, but the creature's legs gave it phenomenal height and size. Its legs were strong, because even as it reared up to attack the dragon with its front two, it was somehow able to withstand Thorn's brute strength.
The dragon hit it with a face-full of fire, but Thorn was quickly flung into the mountainside, which triggered another avalanche. Hal realized it was heading, once again, right for the others and shouted, "DON'T MOVE!" when she saw them flinch. Then she called on her magic, picturing her objective clearly. However, as she did so, the beast that had emerged from the mountain cried out in response and raced towards her as though she were a threat. Hal dared not break her concentration and focused on the spell until part of the mountain slid out above the heads of her comrades, holding steady just as the snow reached them, passing harmlessly overhead.
Thorn was scrambling up as the creature leaped into the air and landed on the plateau where Hal and the others now stood. The ground shook underneath them, and the whole block of ice seemed to shift its weight.
"HALEN!"
Murtagh grabbed her hand and yanked her back and out of her frozen state of shock. Ysildea and Irindriel followed as they all made a run for it. Thorn hooked his tail around one of the legs and pulled the creature off its feet, swinging it around and throwing it down into the gorge. The group slowed to a stop, watching carefully as Thorn stayed in the air, observing and waiting.
"What do we do?" Hal asked, finally finding her voice.
"Thorn can beat it," Murtagh assured her, his gaze transfixed on his dragon.
Just then, Thorn projected into the mind of the group with a warning: It's gone!
"Gone?" Irindriel repeated. "Gone how?"
But the question was answered when the formation that were standing on jolted so suddenly that they were all knocked off their feet. With a haunting suspicion, Hal swallowed her fear and reached out with her mind, having felt the creature's mind once, which was more than enough. When she came back to herself, she looked at the others and said to them and Thorn, "It's burying underneath the ice!"
Ysildea swore. "Then we need to get as far away from here as possible?"
"And go where? Thorn was our means of getting across."
"Right now, Miss Halen, anywhere is better than standing here waiting for the creature to find us!"
She could not rightly argue with that.
"Then let's move!" Murtagh shouted, and they all took off across the deadscape once more. Hal's lungs burned as she sucked in the freezing cold air, like she was swallowing needles with every inhale. And yet, somehow, she was still sweating under her many layers, like her body couldn't discern the temperature.
The ground cracked underneath them, trembling in warning before the creature erupted from the floor just ahead of them, cutting off their escape. They slid to a stop but not before a long leg came out and struck Hal in the side, flinging her across the ground before she could even register that she'd been hit. And she knew, had she not been part Shade, the attack alone would've crushed her entire upper body. She still cried out from the pain, sure she had cracked, if not broken, two or more ribs. The armor was incredibly tough.
When she finally rolled to a stop, she struggled to breathe, each inhale sharper and more painful than the last. She tasted blood in her mouth, spitting out a glob of it from where she'd bitten the inside of her cheek. Thorn landed protectively in front of her, hissing smoke. Can you walk, little one?
I don't know. Thorn, its outer layer is like iron.
Aye. But all creatures have a weakness. I will not rest until I find it.
The beast seemed to sense Thorn's intentions, looking at him head on and releasing a challenging bellow that rung through Hal's head. Thorn responded in kind before the two ran towards the other, Thorn half flying for additional speed before colliding in a shock of sound and size.
Hal climbed warily to her feet, but when she put pressure on her left foot, she yelped and nearly fell back down. Murtagh ran up beside her. "Hal —"
"My ribs," she explained with a wince of pain before he could ask. "I don't know if I can walk."
"Can she heal it?" Irindriel said, running up behind them.
"I would advise against it," Ysildea answered. "That thing seemed to respond to Hal's magic like it knows it. If she uses it, it could set it off again. Thorn is holding it off, we need to find a means of escape before it's too —"
"Look!"
They all turned to follow Hal's finger, her gaze having become distracted by the sight of Baldor waving at them furiously to get their attention. He and the others had steadily been scaling the small edge of space on the mountainside and were now further ahead, and Hal could see that he was waving for them because the gap where they stood was small. They might be able to jump and get across!
"Let us hurry," Irindriel said. "Murtagh, can you carry her?"
Murtagh muttered under his breath, clearly irritated it had even been asked. Gritting her teeth to keep from crying out, Hal clambered onto his back and held on tight. His pace was slowed down by her weight, and she had to fight the urge to apologize. His eyes were too sharp, his jaw too set. He would get her where they needed to go. Of that, she had no doubt.
Hal dared look back only to cry out just as Thorn was tossed as she had been, his body coming right towards them. He crashed down and whatever tunnels the creature had dug to first reach them must've weakened the entire surface, because the ground jolted underneath them, feeling as though it were swaying underneath them. Murtagh barely managed to keep his balance, gripping Hal desperately so that she didn't fall.
Once again, the beast was quick to dive into the ice and rock and bury itself underneath. As they ran, Hal had a faint moment of understanding as she heard their footsteps racing across the land. And when she realized it, she shouted, "Stop!"
Everyone froze, Ysildea looking back with horror. "Hal —"
"Shhh," Hal whispered, dropping her voice, "don't move. Don't speak."
Even without explanation, they still seemed to understand why and did exactly as she said. Hal closed her eyes and focused on her mind and her shields, tightening them as Murtagh had taught her. No magic. Instead, she pulled it all in, let it rest. If the creature could sense her magic when she called on it, then she would hide it and cloak herself.
No one dared speak and hardly anyone seemed to be breathing as they waited for what seemed like a lifetime. There was a low sound in the wind, like a groaning. Then the ice underneath them shifted so suddenly that everyone was thrown off their feet. Hal cried out as her side bore the brunt of her fall. The ground was shifting too much too fast, dipping at an angle as the structure shifted its weight completely. Hal realized a second too late what this meant, desperately turning to find something to hold on to. Instead, her fingers just missed the rock as she began to careen down the side.
The others were just as helpless, trying to dig their feet and hands into the jagged surface that cut into their palms and tore up their nails. Hal remembered at the last moment and yanked out one of her daggers and slammed it into the earth, fortunate that she was strong enough to do so. Just as he fell past her, Hal reached out and grabbed Murtagh's hand. She yelped as his weight exerted pressure on her shoulder and her injured side, but she had never before held him so tightly.
"Hal —"
"Just focus on holding my hand," she grunted, trying to think. Ysildea and Irindrial managed to stop themselves as Hal had, dangling by their blades.
The spider appeared underneath them, crawling over the side with an expectant and hungry gaze. However, in its attempt to trap its potential victims, it also managed to trap itself, stuck between where the plateau had fallen into the mountainside, which had stopped it from descending any further. That's when Thorn struck, flying at such a sharp decline that he looked almost like he was falling. The spider screamed again and Hal nearly let go of her handle, her entire head throbbing with the pain from the sound.
But Thorn stayed the course and landed on top of the beast with his full weight, his claws grabbing the mouth and opening the beast up wide while it shrieked and tried to shake Thorn off. Then the dragon roared a torrent of blue flames down the spider's throat, a seemingly never-ending stream of fire that continued until the body burst from the inside out.
By the time Thorn had disposed of the creature and flown the group back to the others, Hal was nearly blacking out from the pain in her body. She leaned against Murtagh, everyone just trying to catch their breaths before making any noise or sudden movements.
Thorn snaked his head around to lay it near Hal. She smiled, reaching her hand out to lay it on his warm scales. He had several, deep cuts on his legs and a few tears in his wings. But overall, he looked well, and she was relieved. You were so brave, Thorn. You're always so brave. Thank you.
He nudged her with his nose. Do not fret. These wounds are minor compared to what I've had before. I will be fine.
"Speaking of wounds…" Murtagh began, appearing to have gotten his bearings together as he reached for Hal, "we need to check yours."
Hal gritted her teeth together as Murtagh moved to gently lift her to a sitting position, her back resting on Thorn's warm side. The others seemed to notice how the pair had fallen quiet and stepped back to offer them a moment of privacy. Away from prying eyes besides Thorn, Murtagh seemed too inside his own head, far too focused to just be worried about her side. Although, when he managed to get her many layers up, Hal saw the way his jaw tightened, the flicker of panic in his eyes.
"I don't think there's any internal damage," Hal mentioned, hoping to ease the furrow between his brows. And she believed this to be true. Despite the pain in her side when she took a breath, she could not feel any fluid in her lungs and there was no blood in her mouth.
"But you won't be walking anywhere for a while, iet dunei." Then, almost to himself, he added, "I'm sure the weight of catching me didn't help matters either." For a moment, Hal feared he would say something foolish. Something along the lines of any apology. Instead, however, he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears, his fingers grazing against her cool cheeks, his thumb running across her lower lip. "I don't think I'll ever tire of being rescued by you."
She snorted, but the tease brought a small smile to her face and to his. He began to pull back when Hal added quickly, "I wouldn't have let you go for anything."
Murtagh leaned forward and kissed her forehead, her nose, and then, sweetly, her lips. "I know, my love." Then, grinning, he flexed the hand she had held on to so tightly and added, "My fingers certainly felt the desperation of your affections."
Hal shoved his shoulder, but his tease almost immediately put her at ease. "Ass."
Chuckling, he set to work wrapping her stomach, binding what few bandages they had as firmly around her ribs as he could without causing too much discomfort.
"How does that feel?"
Hal struggled to stay upright on her own, and let her weight fall back into Thorn. Murtagh had wrapped her ribs well, but it was as he said: she would not be going anywhere anytime soon. "How badly will this set us back?" she whispered, low so that only Murtagh could hear while also projecting the question to Thorn.
Murtagh sighed. "I haven't the faintest clue, but it's not good. I see now why the elves were warned to stay away from this place. If not for Thorn, that would have been the end of us before we had a chance to get started."
Hal sighed. "Can you call the others here? I don't have the strength to move."
Murtagh nodded, shouting for the rest of the group. When everyone had gathered, there was a moment of silence, eyes downcast or focused on Hal, who looked almost ill from the pain. Hal felt that she could not ignore the other weight on her chest any longer. Regretful and apologetic, Hal turned to the elves and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry about Faelyn."
They lowered their gazes in mourning, but Ailen shook her head, her smile sad. "Faelyn was a good comrade and a proud elf. He gave his life to the goal of this mission. His sacrifice will not be forgotten or in vain." The others were quick to speak up in agreement, but Hal wished they would not be so quick to dissuade their feelings when it was so apparent that they were grieving. To have lost a member of their group so early into what was meant to only be the scouting portion of their journey cast dark luck over how the rest of their time here might go. Hal was loathed to lose anyone else.
"What do you suppose that thing was?" Baldor finally asked. It was, without a doubt, the one question on everyone's mind.
"I do not know," Irindriel responded, his expression somber. "I have never seen or heard of such a thing in any myth or lore from the races on Alagaësia."
"That is because it predates our existence," Hal said, speaking with her eyes trained on the far horizon, seemingly lost in thought. "When I first placed my hand on the ground, I was searching for any sign of life, just like I had done on Ilirea. And the deeper I went…I touched its mind by accident, not expecting it. It felt ancient. So ancient. Like it had forgotten what it was or why it even existed. It only knew the cold of the earth that it had buried itself into and the slumber that it remained under for all these centuries. But when it felt my magic, it awoke. Like it remembered what it was like to be alive for the first time…"
She shuddered as she fell silent.
"What happens now?" Albriech looked around the group. "We cannot hope to travel far until Hal's side heals, which would take weeks since it's too much of a risk for her to use magic here. And we lost our belongings in the avalanche."
The wind howled around them, piercing and taunting. A reminder of how far they'd come. The smell of brimstone still potent.
"Maybe we should turn back," Hal offered, feeling dejected. "That creature is just one of many, I know it. If we come across another beast like that, or one stronger, I don't know what we'll do. My magic may awaken more."
You have me, Thorn countered.
"We cannot risk your life, Thorn. And while I do not speak for your rider, I will not allow it. Not when we can take measures to prevent depending solely on you for protection. You're injured too, and I can't heal you." Then, only to him, she said, You are too precious to me to sacrifice. If anything were to happen to you, I would never forgive myself. And Murtagh would never recover.
I know the risks, but if I can fight —
But he only had to look at Hal's expression for all manner of fight left him. Oh, all right then. But just know that while I may not be our first plan, if I must be the second, third, or even the fourth, I will do so and you cannot stop me. I am a dragon after all.
And I'm a Shade.
Cheeky woman.
Nagging dragon.
Hal turned back to the rest of the group, softened by Thorn's insistence but committed all the same to finding the best possible option that would not risk anymore lives. "We are exposed in the worst possible way and I can't let you all get hurt because I insisted on the idiotic mission. My feelings will not be hurt if we all agree it's in our best interest to return now."
"This plan may have been your idea, but we all agreed to it, Miss Halen," Eldrin stated. "And it was by no means idiotic. I assure you, if it was, someone would have said something long ago. Even her majesty and Queen Nasuada, both of whom we all know would not hesitate to speak their minds if they felt differently, agreed on the importance of this mission."
"Aye," said Baldor, trying to perk up some. "Besides, we can't turn back now. You said so yourself that this might be our one opportunity to get ahead of the Shade. We can't give up now that we've come so far."
"We'll see it through, Miss Halen," Albriech added, giving her a warm smile.
Hal remained unconvinced, but she also could not fault their thinking — if they turned back now, they would have nothing to show for it. At least, this way, there was still a chance of finding something. However, she was loathed to the fact that she herself would not be a burden. She could not walk, could not scout, could not fight. She was dead weight. Useless. It was hard to agree to stay knowing that everyone's priority, which was protecting her, had now doubled in effort.
"You're exhausted," Murtagh commented, watching her carefully and noting her silence. "We all are. We should get somewhere downwind from the smell of the brimstone and set up camp. With all these mountains, there's got to be a cave somewhere that can provide us with marginal shelter.
After some negotiations, Thorn took off with Murtagh and Ysildea to find a place for them to camp that was far enough from the smell without being too far for travel. Despite Thorn's injuries, he was still capable and currently their only means of quick travel if they hoped to find anything before nightfall. Hal was moved as carefully as possible to rest against a massive rock. It wasn't long before Thorn's presence in her mind drifted further and further out. She hoped they would not be gone long. She felt uneasy with their group split like this after such an ordeal. She felt her side squeeze with pain again and winced, shifting as she tried to find a comfortable position.
"We should probably try and get a fire going while we wait for the others to return," Irindriel commented, looking up at the sky. "Just in case." Hal followed his gaze and felt her throat tighten with understanding. It would be dark soon. Not only were the nights colder but, they left her feeling like they were only people in the world, isolated and exposed. It was unnerving and she detested it considerably.
"That's a fair point," Albriech grimaced. "But there's not much on this side for us to use. And I'm sure the way back is blocked after that nasty avalanche."
His words chilled Hal further. Even if they did find something, even if the managed to catch Thea off guard and stop her, how would they get back at this rate? Would they have to go around the pass now that it was unusable? And how much time would that add to their already long journey? Days or weeks?
"Mr. Horstsson and I will scout for anything we can use," Irindriel volunteered, shooting Hal a calming smile. "We will need to restock our provisions anyway. And since Miss Halen is injured, we can use this as an opportunity to scout the nearby area for further threats."
"If you insist." Ailen gestured to Baldor and Eldrin, adding, "We can remain with Miss Halen. Do try not to wander off too far, as night approaches quickly here in the north. I do not wish for our group to be separated for long."
"Nor do I. You have my word that we will return as quickly as possible"
After they departed, shoulders hunched against the cold, there was a slight lull in which Hal, Ailen, Baldor, and Eldrin sat huddled close together for warmth. Hal could see how they all sported dark circles, their skin wax from the cold and from exhaustion. Surely, despite their best efforts, they could not continue like this?
Hal looked at Ailen and asked softly, "Is this something we can truly afford to do? Staying here with my injuries? I feel like I'm putting everyone at risk."
"It's not ideal, but we will have to make do all the same," the elf stated simply. "We were unprepared today, but that is to be expected because we did not have the knowledge we do now. However, we will carry on as intended until we decide that it would be in our best interest, and yours, to turn back. But all is not lost yet. Do not give up. Besides, even if we all did want to turn back, we would still need to make up for the supplies we lost, which will likely take a few days. Might as well use that time to our advantage if we can."
Although she was loathed to admit it, Hal could not help but agree. "Yes, I supposed that's true. I guess this unexpected chink in the plan has thrown me off entirely. I feel more anxious now than I did before."
"That's what you have all of us for, Miss Halen. Together, I believe we can —"
Over the sound of the wind, not even Hal's heightened hearing could predict what would happen next. One moment Ailen was smiling at Hal and talking, and the next Hal flinched as something wet hit her face, and it took her several moments to register the arrow protruding through the back of the woman's head and through her eye socket.
"I believe we…we can..." Ailen repeated, her body twitching as she too was unable to process how swiftly her death had come for her. And suddenly Hal was screaming as the elf fell face forward. Hal scrambled out of the way, horror and disgust telling her to move before Ailen fell on top of her. As the elf hit the ground, Hal's terror was only momentarily waylaid by guilt before, all at once, they were besieged by people in animal skins and masks, rushing forward with arrows and spears. Wolf heads, fox heads, bear heads, and more came out of hiding, war cries on their lips and weapons raised high. Baldor barely managed to dodge a swipe at his neck. Eldrin reacted just as swiftly, letting out a cry of frustration at the sight of his fallen comrade.
Despite her injuries, Hal rushed to her feet to aid her friends. However, as she did so, arms shot out from behind and grabbed her. She threw her elbow back only to realize that the bear head the person wore protected their face from any serious injury. Had she not been injured she could've thrown them easily. Yet every movement jostled her injuries so terribly that she felt like she might pass out.
"Let go of me!"
"Hurry up," a voice called that Hal did not know, "before the rest of their party returns!"
She turned her head and bit down on the hand on her right arm, digging her teeth in deep until the person had no choice but to release her before she broke the skin. Then she sliced her hand into the other person's throat and they chocked, falling backwards as they gasped for air. However, even though she had managed to briefly free herself, it quickly became clear that they would be overwhelmed in a matter of seconds.
"Stop!" she shouted, trying to scramble to her feet despite the immense pain it caused her. "Don't hurt them, please!"
She was tackled from behind and it was Baldor who cried, "Miss Halen!" before breaking free from his attackers to rush to her side. Arms squeezed her torso, crushing her ribs further and Hal screamed in agony. But Baldor reached her in a few short strides and kicked her assailant in the face.
"Baldor, get her out of here!" Eldrin called out, not even able to look away from his opponent who was swinging a spear with almost no skill or training whatsoever. And the closer Hal looked, the more she realized that their attackers weren't soldiers or warriors at all. They were too disorganized, rushing about with a sense of panic, as if Hal and her group were the perceived threat. She had to do something, quick. But she was caught too off-guard to focus, overwhelmed by this new and unexpected enemy so soon after the other.
Just then, while Baldor was preoccupied trying to protect Hal, he was struck seemingly out of nowhere by a heavy club right in the temple. Hal cried out as he was immediately knocked unconscious, dropping to the ground. Another raised their spear as if to drive it through his chest when Hal did the only thing she could think of and flung herself on top of him.
"STOP!"
Hal flinched, although she was not sure if it was in expectation of the blade driving through her or the sudden command. Either way, all movement and fighting ceased, and Hal slowly raised her head as a figure in a boar's head approached, tall and stout, even under their layers. "The woman is not to be harmed."
Not knowing what else to do except to try and take advantage of the momentary stillness, Hal shouted, "Whatever it is you want, I assure you we have very little. Take what you must and please, leave us alone. We have done nothing to you —"
"Nothing?!" The deep voice decried as if affronted. "You who so carelessly awoke the Arachneop, which could have devoured us all."
"It was an accident!" Eldrin snapped, having surrendered with Hal surrounded and Baldor unconscious. "We meant no harm to you!"
"And we stopped it," Hal added, indignant.
"It doesn't matter," the man hissed. "You are a threat and you don't even know it. You will come with us before you get us all killed."
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
"You have no choice. Unless you want us to kill your other comrades as well."
On cue, those surrounding Hal and Baldor inched closer, their weapons hovering in front of her voice. Hal's eyes dared glance over to where Ailen had fallen and she felt her throat tighten. She wished desperately that she had not realized that her magic was like a beacon to the beast — the Arachneop the man had called it. It would be one thing to use it again in ignorance. But with Thorn gone and herself injured, she could not risk another creature (or perhaps a stronger one) coming after her in this state. And she could not fight unless she wanted to risk damaging her ribs completely.
"Don't do it, Miss Halen!" Eldrin warned.
She gave him an apologetic look, glancing around them in the hopes that the rest of their party would conveniently appear. But there was no movement, and Hal didn't know if she could safely stall for time without risking Eldrin and Baldor.
"We truly mean you no harm," she said in a low voice. "You have already killed one of our own. I do not wish for any more bloodshed. I will go with you, but only on the condition that you do not harm my friends. I am injured so I cannot fight you on the matter, my friend here is unconscious, and the other will not risk my safety. You have the advantage, so please show us mercy."
She hated begging after they had already resorted to such violence. She felt sick with her own cowardice. But what other choice did she have? Worst case scenario, she might actually have to threaten them with magic. Perhaps actually use it. But would such a gamble actually help her cause or harm it further.
Hal watched the one that had spoken, assuming they were perhaps in charge. He studied her carefully for several moments. "Please," she mouthed, and something in his eyes seemed to shift with acceptance. Finally, he looked behind her and nodded. Hal turned to see what or who he had gestured towards. As she did, one of the others stepped forward, a soaked cloth in their hand. Before she could understand what was happening, they pressed it to her face and she gasped in surprise, inhaling a putrid scent that immediately clouded her mind. It was frightening, how quickly she became disoriented, losing control of her limbs and muscles.
She fell on top of Baldor's chest, trying to remain conscious. It wasn't like the poison in Teirm where it was several hours before it took hold. This was frightfully fast, and she didn't know if it was sheer willpower or being part Shade that kept her awake this long. Either way, she was still semi-conscious as someone lifted her up and threw her over their shoulder.
"Bring them too," the man said. "Just in case."
Hal's tongue was thick, making it impossible to form a single coherent sentence. She saw them grab both Baldor and Eldrin, and she tried to call out to them. But before she could do so, she finally felt her strength give way as her mind slipped into darkness.
…
It was the immense hunger, the feelings of bloodlust, that tore Hal from her sleep. She shot up in a panic, the craving so visceral that she had almost mistaken them for her own. However, now conscious, she felt the gradual presence fading, and she realized that there were other darker, much more terrifying creatures that lurked in the shadows of the mountains. And they knew she was here.
It took a moment for her memories to return to her, her head still fuzzy and pounding from whatever vile thing had knocked her out to begin with. Like she was immensely hungover. She closed her eyes, the lights dancing behind her lids as she tried to focus. When she opened them again, she was able to take in more of her surroundings. Hal realized she had been left alone in a small room with absolutely no windows. The only light to be had was from the low flames of the torches anchored to the wall. Speaking of walls, she was surrounded on all sides by nothing but craggy, stone surfaces, the ceiling low enough that she probably could've touched it if she jumped. Whoever had designed this space had not felt inclined to put much effort into it beyond its mere existence. The huts on Illium had more attention to detail and unique touches than this. After the fine craftsmanship displayed in the estate, Ilirea, Carvahall, and Ellesméra, the plainness of such a room was obvious.
Feeling a distinct chill on her skin, she glanced down, flushed and mortified to find herself completely naked. There was no sign of her clothes anywhere. The tub she lay in was dug out of the stone ground itself as she soaked in a milky, odorless substance. Hal inhaled slowly and deeply, then exhaled. There was no pain. Curious, she sat up a bit more and glanced down at her torso, noting the lack of bruising. She twisted and turned, but there was no twinge in her side at all. She had been completely healed. Not to mention the liquid was somehow still hot, absolving all of the cold that had settled in her body for the last several weeks. She suspected magic…but how?
As if somehow sensing that she was awake, the door tepidly swung open and a young girl, perhaps no older than fourteen or fifteen. It took Hal several moments to realize she was staring, but she couldn't help it. The girl had brown skin like Hal, but it seemed a bit shallow or sickly, and Hal had to wonder how much sunlight the girl got on a regular basis. She wore a brown frock over a beige dress, both appearing to be cheaply made and hand stitched. It was also a bit too big on her, as if it was passed down or perhaps intentionally made a few sizes up, so that the girl may grow into them. However, she was so frail and skinny that Hal feared one wrong breeze might knock her over. Her head was shaved, which only added to her fragility. Yet her eyes were sharp, watching Hal as closely as Hal watched her.
In her hand was a change of clothes and a towel. She set them down wordlessly before turning her back. Her silence rather dismissive of any potential questions or conversations, Hal gauged the intention and rose quietly to her feet. After drying herself off, she pulled the soft material on over her head, letting the dress fall to her ankles as she pushed her arms through the loose sleeves. It was a plain, drab-looking thing, similar to what the girl wore. But at least it was surprisingly warm, lined with animal fur, and very comfortable.
As if assuming Hal was finished, the girl turned back around with an almost bored look. Hal shot her a warm smile in the hopes of easing some of the tension in the girl's face. "Thank you."
She faintly nodded but didn't speak. She looked rather uncomfortable, but Hal could not help but follow-up with the question, "My friends? Do you know where they are?"
The girl promptly shook her head, but something about the lack of eye contact made Hal question her sincerity. But she didn't want to push the child in case she could weasel something out of her. "Can you tell me where I am? Please, you must understand how frightening this is for me. And there will be people who will be looking for me, if they aren't already..."
As she said it, she nearly rolled her eyes at her own incompetence. She had her own connection with Thorn. Although she hadn't felt it at all since waking. As she tried to find it, her mind turned up empty and silent. Hal let out a despondent groan of frustration, leaning against the wall for support and letting her head fall into her hands. She had gotten her hopes up for nothing. Wherever she was, it had to be deep in one of the mountains. There was hardly anything else around that would disrupt their connection aside from distance or magic, and she doubted they had traveled that far. But could it be magic?
Hal raised her head and both she and the girl flinched. The girl had come shockingly close, standing in front of Hal with the most curious of gazes, although she now looked horrified at getting caught. Yet she seemed too stunned to move. Her head was slightly tilted as she observed Hal up close. And Hal was shocked to feel the smallest twinge of familiarity in her chest. The longer she looked at the girl's eyes and the longer the girl looked back, she could feel her heartrate increase. As if her body knew before her mind could fully process the alarming nature of what she was seeing.
"Morro."
The girl jumped back, quickly clamoring to her feet and putting as much distance between her and Hal as possible. Whatever thoughts had been swirling in Hal's mind came to an instant halt when she looked up to see Thea standing in the doorway, her expression unsurprised.
Struggling not to let her shock show on her face, Hal also got to her feet and straightened her shoulders to appear unfazed. However, that was difficult to do when it wasn't just the sudden appearance of the Shade to contend with. The power that had once oozed from Thea had dimmed, quite literally, since Hal had last seen her. Her once vibrant red hair had become faded, like a dyed cloth that had been washed over and over and over again, sapping out the color. And her skin was nearly translucent, dark shadows moving beneath the surface. The souls. Hal was chilled to see that about as many souls occupied Thea as did Hal. At least that's how it looked.
"Thea, so help me if you laid a hand on my friends —"
"They're alive. For now. Lucky for you the men pitied you enough and brought them here as leverage to keep you in line. Can't have you causing a fuss."
"You were watching us the entire time, weren't you? We sensed something or someone was following us, and you just happened to make your move with Thorn was gone."
"I was expecting you," she clarified, as if that made a difference. "The people here, however, were watching you. And why shouldn't they have done so? You didn't exactly try to hide yourselves."
"Are they with you?"
"And if they are? What do you intend to do?"
The challenge was obvious, and Hal curled her fingers into fists. "You know I would not hurt the innocent. Not unless they give me reason to."
Thea smirked at that. "I suspect, dear sister, that even if they gave you reason, you would not dare raise a hand against them."
"Do not doubt me or my motives. But you told me to come and I did. Now you've captured me, separated me from my group, and are holding my comrades hostage. What do you want from me, Thea? No more games. I'm tired of chasing you around the country."
"You really want to know the truth? You really want to know what my endgame was?" Hal didn't answer, just stared back resolutely, waiting for an answer. Thea took a few steps closer. "I never did answer your question that night on Uden."
"What question?"
"If there were others," Thea said casually. "If there were other survivors besides me. I would have thought you'd figured it out by now Halen."
Hal began to make a face when all feeling left her, her expression growing slack. Immediately, Hal looked down at the girl. Morro, Thea had called her. And suddenly, a quiet memory was unearthed that Hal had not thought about in years. A memory of peering over the wrapped blankets in her aunt's arms, the woman beaming yet exhausted.
"Hal, Thea, this is your cousin, Morro."
Hal felt the urge to faint, but held off, struggling to catch her breath. No. No. She would not dare believe…not after all this time. Not after such loneliness. Not after the days and nights she spent waiting for somebody, anybody, to find her and claim her. She would not be distracted by Thea's cruelty any longer. She would not dare believe that all this time, the family she had been mourning had been living in hiding.
And just like that, a rage exploded within Hal that she had been suppressing for months. Rage that she thought had been tempered when she was a child. Rage she had told herself she had not felt. Did not want to feel. Because who was left to be the target of her anger?
While it seemed obvious, the sight of Thea standing there invalidating everything Hal had ever believed about her life made something within her snap.
Denu.
Celia.
Merida.
Faelyn and Ailen.
Her family. Her friends. Her people that she had sworn to herself that she would protect with her life. They had been left at the mercy of the Ra'zac. At the mercy of Thea. Hal had swallowed her anger and her guilt and her grief over and over again just to keep moving forward. And Thea had finally snapped the small strand of sanity Hal had left like it was nothing. Well good riddance to it. Hal was tired of acting like she was fine.
She wasn't fine.
And without a moment's hesitation, Hal released a wild scream, filled with all the pain and heartache she had ever felt before she took a step and hurled herself with full force at her sister.