Read Online The Herald of Autumn (Echoes of the Untold Age Book 1) by JM Guillen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: JM Guillen
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like living things as
she took them. They sank claws into me, clinging as she pulled, as if they
could hold fast onto me and not be taken.
I cannot even give name to the things
I forgot.
I staggered, awed by the strength of
her pull, by the draw of the hollow emptiness within her. I felt fear. I felt
fear the likes of which I had never known.
I had no doubt. This woman-thing
could kill me. Could gorge on everything I was and be hungry for more.
“Illari!” Ses’kia hefted my spear in
her hand though I hadn’t even known I had dropped it. She swung with all she
had and struck the side of the ravenous woman’s head.
Her soundless screams clawed through
my mind. They echoed through all of the worlds that were and ever could be.
She was hurt. Hurt, but nowhere near
slain.
I knew the sound wasn’t real ; it was something from the
dreaming-lands, not quite true. Her mouth actually gasped, an inhale made all
the more horrifying by its quiet wheeze.
We had a moment then. The creature
reeled from the strike. She wasn’t dead, not by a long stride. I had no doubt
now that, whatever I hurled at her, she would take into herself. She drank
Medicine and could easily devour Ses’kia and me both.
A long moment passed where the Old
Man fell silent. The fire’s orange light danced deep within his grey eyes. When
he turned back to me, he only had two words to say, words woven with shame and
fear that cut like the winter wind.
“We ran.”
11
We sat then, for long moments, before
I spoke.
“It wasn’t foolish or cowardly.” I
watched the fire. “Mine almost had me more than once. If I hadn’t found a
friend, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
His grin turned rueful. “Yet sit yeh
do, so I’ll wager yeh put yours down.”
I slowly nodded. I wasn’t trying to
brag.
He chuckled. “What came after? Was it
a cloud of biting flies? Mayhap scores a’ maggots pouring from the wound?”
“Spiders.” I gave him a questioning
look. “Like water, they flowed from it.”
He chuckled again. “That’s the
reality of the thing, right there, Tommy. Not Wendigo nor hungry ghost. The
darkness that burns cold pours from them when dead but reforms later in another
poor creature. It’s never whatever yeh thought i’ was.”
“A fetch.” I bit my lip in
frustration. “That’s what I thought it was. Changeling-kin.”
He shook his head. “No. True night is
what they are, night and cold beyond cold. You killed the shell, but the
darkness remains. Shaediin is the best word I’ve found, for it’s not from any
of the old tales.”
I nodded. “They’re new.”
He gave me a sideways grin. “You did
better than I, O Herald. I ran the first time.”
I shrugged. “I had help.”
His lips curled back into a smile as
he looked into the fire. “It’s more than that, Tommy. Yeh know it as well as I.
Huntin’ is yer nature. It’s what yeh do.” He took a long draw of his cider. “ That’s why I called yeh here. I needed someone else to see what I seen, someone who
might be able to do more than I.”
I mistrusted his wording. “I doubt I
could do more than you, Old Man.”
“My nature is secrets and glamour,
Tommy. My strengths are illusions, smoke, and lies.” His laugh turned bitter.
“These ’bominations drink me. Like syrup.” He paused. “You, on the other hand,
could call the Great Hunt.”
Fear clenched my heart. I gazed into
the fire.
“I could.” Uncertainty wound its way
through my voice. “I don’t know what would happen, Coyote. The Hunter is
greater than I. Once he comes, I cannot control the chase.” I turned to him.
“The Hunt is beyond anyone’s will, even mine.”
“I don’ claim to know all the tricks
of the Hunter, Tommy. But I know enough. Once yeh call ’im, I think his path
will be clear.” Coyote rested back into his seat.
His certainty bothered me. There was
more. Something I did not know. “Why?” I leaned forward, my aspen-eyes hard.
“Why do you presume
she took them. They sank claws into me, clinging as she pulled, as if they
could hold fast onto me and not be taken.
I cannot even give name to the things
I forgot.
I staggered, awed by the strength of
her pull, by the draw of the hollow emptiness within her. I felt fear. I felt
fear the likes of which I had never known.
I had no doubt. This woman-thing
could kill me. Could gorge on everything I was and be hungry for more.
“Illari!” Ses’kia hefted my spear in
her hand though I hadn’t even known I had dropped it. She swung with all she
had and struck the side of the ravenous woman’s head.
Her soundless screams clawed through
my mind. They echoed through all of the worlds that were and ever could be.
She was hurt. Hurt, but nowhere near
slain.
I knew the sound wasn’t real ; it was something from the
dreaming-lands, not quite true. Her mouth actually gasped, an inhale made all
the more horrifying by its quiet wheeze.
We had a moment then. The creature
reeled from the strike. She wasn’t dead, not by a long stride. I had no doubt
now that, whatever I hurled at her, she would take into herself. She drank
Medicine and could easily devour Ses’kia and me both.
A long moment passed where the Old
Man fell silent. The fire’s orange light danced deep within his grey eyes. When
he turned back to me, he only had two words to say, words woven with shame and
fear that cut like the winter wind.
“We ran.”
11
We sat then, for long moments, before
I spoke.
“It wasn’t foolish or cowardly.” I
watched the fire. “Mine almost had me more than once. If I hadn’t found a
friend, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
His grin turned rueful. “Yet sit yeh
do, so I’ll wager yeh put yours down.”
I slowly nodded. I wasn’t trying to
brag.
He chuckled. “What came after? Was it
a cloud of biting flies? Mayhap scores a’ maggots pouring from the wound?”
“Spiders.” I gave him a questioning
look. “Like water, they flowed from it.”
He chuckled again. “That’s the
reality of the thing, right there, Tommy. Not Wendigo nor hungry ghost. The
darkness that burns cold pours from them when dead but reforms later in another
poor creature. It’s never whatever yeh thought i’ was.”
“A fetch.” I bit my lip in
frustration. “That’s what I thought it was. Changeling-kin.”
He shook his head. “No. True night is
what they are, night and cold beyond cold. You killed the shell, but the
darkness remains. Shaediin is the best word I’ve found, for it’s not from any
of the old tales.”
I nodded. “They’re new.”
He gave me a sideways grin. “You did
better than I, O Herald. I ran the first time.”
I shrugged. “I had help.”
His lips curled back into a smile as
he looked into the fire. “It’s more than that, Tommy. Yeh know it as well as I.
Huntin’ is yer nature. It’s what yeh do.” He took a long draw of his cider. “ That’s why I called yeh here. I needed someone else to see what I seen, someone who
might be able to do more than I.”
I mistrusted his wording. “I doubt I
could do more than you, Old Man.”
“My nature is secrets and glamour,
Tommy. My strengths are illusions, smoke, and lies.” His laugh turned bitter.
“These ’bominations drink me. Like syrup.” He paused. “You, on the other hand,
could call the Great Hunt.”
Fear clenched my heart. I gazed into
the fire.
“I could.” Uncertainty wound its way
through my voice. “I don’t know what would happen, Coyote. The Hunter is
greater than I. Once he comes, I cannot control the chase.” I turned to him.
“The Hunt is beyond anyone’s will, even mine.”
“I don’ claim to know all the tricks
of the Hunter, Tommy. But I know enough. Once yeh call ’im, I think his path
will be clear.” Coyote rested back into his seat.
His certainty bothered me. There was
more. Something I did not know. “Why?” I leaned forward, my aspen-eyes hard.
“Why do you presume
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