The Winds of Ysgard - Part One

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison felt a sharp pain in her side.

She was broken. But the broken man before her was whole—and clearly it was Rikhard. He glared at Addison with a fierce defiance. Lies and shadows, I am? Before Addison could tell him she was here for him, and everything was going to be fine, her vision snapped to another direction.

Loke was charging straight at her. The towering man was a monster, and the Huntress was in too much pain to—

"Not this time!"


* * *


Addison awoke with a start. She shrieked like an animal—roaring, crying out in rage and fear—her limbs thrashed. She tore herself free of muscular arms.

The blurry image of the man reached for her as she lay on her back. Loke! Get away from me! No sound escaped her quivering lips. She desperately crab-walked away from the man—Farrun, not Loke!—did he betray her too? How could Addison be so foolish to trust men? All she wanted to do was sink her fangs into her kill, but the men!

She rolled over onto her belly and extended a trembling, hairless paw toward the felled buck. Her prey was too far away. Now she was the prey. She pondered the fate that awaited her as she sobbed herself to sleep.

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard tensed as more shadows appeared out of the night, hurrying in his direction. The rest of the pack, wearing other shapes?

No... one of them threw something at the wolf who watched him, making it stumble into the bog with him. The other shadow descended on the wolf, striking it once, then hauling it out of the mire and dealing two more blows.

Rikhard waited, unsure of which name to call out, while his rescuer came back and offered him the haft of a weapon. Loke's voice made his fear drain away, and Rikhard readily accepted the help. "Please and thank you!"

 

[Tom]

"Is there anything I can do?" Troia asked, hovering anxiously behind Loke. She felt so useless. He'd told her stay back as he killed the gytrash, and now that it was dead he seemed to be purposefully ignoring her.

Her gaze roved over the bog, skipping over the dead gytrash, and settling on Rikhard. He looked terrible--covered in mire, his eyes wild with fear. She supposed she didn't look much better, she mused, glancing down at her blood- and mud-spattered hands.

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard looked at her, then at the beast Loke had slain. "Maybe you can explain what that is. Is it a wolf? I didn't imagine they had that kind of ability with illusions..."

 

[Tom]

"It's a gytrash--a Black Dog," she explained, feeling a shiver of lingering fear. "They use magic to make you see your worst fears. My mum used to tell me the old stories about them."

 

[DMThaane]

"Village tales, mostly," Loke said. "In truth, I half-believed them to be a myth."

Obviously he'd been mistaken, although at least they couldn't breathe fire and run along gusts of wind.

"We should go back to the camp, build a fire. The others will look for us there." If they were alive. No, they had the dragonrider with them. They would have survived. "Gather any good wood you see. I have a feeling we'll want a decent fire."

 

[Nimue]

Farrun was deep in the flow of healing when Addison suddenly jerked under his hands. He had barely surfaced when she began thrashing and howling, bucking from his grasp as he tried to hold her still. Alarmed, he called her name but it didn't seem to reach her--she crawled a little ways, still crying incoherently. Something had happened to her.

But he needed to heal her now,, before she lost more blood than the crimson spatter that trailed after her, and he couldn't do that if she fought him. Farrun cast a rushed spell to make her sleep, and was relieved when it worked and she sagged. He ran over and caught her, pressing his hands firmly to her shoulder and side, numbing the pain, stemming the flow of blood again. Her heart was laboring, her body rife with stress and fear.

"Einan, you still with me?" He shouted over his shoulder, trying to keep an eye on both patients at once. At the same time, his mind was racing. Had she tried to meld with one of the gytrashes? What did she see?

Thoros! he roared, full of panic. Can you see them? Can you find any of them?

I am near to the Queen's Dagger, came the reply. He is fouled in a bog. I see none of the others. No--

After an excruciating moment, Thoros sent him an image from far above, the shape of three people among the marsh and reeds. Loke, Troia, Rikhard! They were all standing, and the body of a black dog lay nearby.

"The others are safe!" He shouted to Einan, giddy with relief.

--

In a rush of huge wings, Thoros descended on the marsh, flattening reeds and sending waves across the pools. With a lazy reach, he caught the now-fleeing gytrash in his jaws and wrung it until it snapped, then with a flick of his head cast the creature into the bog.

Please shout if I am hurting you, he rumbled to Bendalitz, and a great bronze claw came down and closed around Bendalit's torso and pulled him clean from the swamp with a viscous pop.

The pads of his forefoot, though rough, were surprisingly careful and precise in their pressure. Thoros swooped up over a bank of trees and then on the hillock below were Loke, Troia, and Rikhard. Thoros backwinged, lowering himself onto a neighboring hill--the firmest land he could find, and released his grip on Bendalitz. His huge scaly head came down to be sure that Bendalitz had landed all right.

I do not think the creatures will trouble you if I am here, he said, matter-of-factly. The red-haired one and the elf are injured. Farrun is with them, healing. You should return to camp.

 

[Gryphos]

The moment the gytrash died, the manifestation of Hala Svora vanished, but Bendalitz could not muster any kind of smile when the dragon rescued him.

Once he found his feet again he sheathed his dagger. "I, uh ... I thank you."

Even though he knew fully in his ration al mind that none of it was real, those eyes were still the ones that stared at him like a predator not ten minutes ago, those jaws were still the ones that snapped on his heels. But, of course, none of it was real, and he did know that.

"Thank you very much."

With that Bendlitz turned around and, boots squelching with bog water, set off in the direction he reckoned would lead him to the camp.

 

[Tom]

"I'm still awake," Einan called to Farrun. "Actually doing a little better, I think."

His thoughts were clearer, and the world didn't reel so wildly when he turned his head. But now he had a pounding headache. It's only natural to have one after cracking my skull, he told himself, rubbing his temples. At least his arm was whole again, thanks to Farrun.

A scream from Addison jolted him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see her lunge away from Farrun, her eyes wild. What was wrong with her? His concern grew as she continued to thrash, but then fell senseless. He started to stand, but remembered that Farrun had told him to stay put, and sat back down. He balled his hand into a fist, resenting his sudden uselessness.

However, when Farrun shouted the good news, he felt his spirits rise a little. "Where are they?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison felt a strong hand on her left shoulder…

"You overexerted yourself," the barbarian princess said to her.

Addy replied, "I can't help meself, Baldy. I can't let ye make 'em big climbs on your own. What if a bear attacked ye? Ye can't shoot."

"No, but I can fight." Baldy's big hand put more pressure on the sore spot. "I can hurl a spear, too."

There was a moment of sharp pain, but it was a good hurt. "I bet ye can rip me arm off if ye wanna. What's your point?"

"Point is, Addy, you best learn it's okay to rely on others now and then."

Addy pulled away from her best friend's grip. "It's one thing to rely on others, but not if relying means I just sit on me ass and do nothing."

Baldy leaned forward, closer to the fire where meat was skewered on a spit. She gave the meat another turn. "Your skills keep us fed. How's that 'nothing?' Now let me finish massaging that shoulder. The bow I gave you is no good if your arm's no good."

* * *

Her right hand gently fell onto Farrun's healing hand. The Huntress whispered, "Thank ye." She did not stir, but her sleep was peaceful now.

 

[Nimue]

"They're in a marsh near the camp, heading back. Thoros is with them, they'll be safe," Farrun relayed to Einan. His smile faded as he looked down at Addison, deeply unconscious, and the blood that stained his hands. She was in no great danger--the scores on her side were much shallower than the injury to her shoulder, and he had stopped most of the bleeding--but he would have to be careful with the muscle and ligament that wrapped around the shoulder joint. Not an easy task.

"Keep watch for us, will you, Einan?" he asked. For his own part, he renewed the rune against illusion, broadening its power around them like a pool of light from a single candle. If more gytrashes crept up on them, their greatest weapon would be useless. But Farrun didn't think there would be more of them--at least eight hairy bodies were strewn around them.

With a deep, resolute breath, he focused on healing again.

Addison's touch brought him from his concentration, and he looked down at her with surprise and relief. "Well, I am glad to see you surface," Farrun said--to himself, as she was already dozing off again. He straightened, taking stock. The cuts were cleanly healed, to thin scabs, beneath the blood that soaked her sleeve. He could be sure that they would close completely without scarring, but that would have to wait. He was beginning to feel the cost of the magic he had spent so broadly, in a headache building behind his eyes and a bone-deep weariness.

He rose slowly and carefully, wincing as his back cracked. "Einan," he said, clearing his throat. "Time to head back to camp." He bent and scooped up Addison, one arm under her knees, one around her shoulders. "I hope you feel well enough to keep up," he said with a grunt and a rueful groan, "Or I'll have to carry you both, one over each shoulder."

--

They had come out under the bright evening sun, hunters moving quickly across the moor. Now they slogged back as a misty twilight crept up, and the sun sank into the fold of the hills. The slow pace was far more Farrun's fault than Einan's, for though Addison wasn't heavy, for a grown woman, her weight told on him over the distance. The lengthening shadows seemed to twist and dance in the corner of his eyes, and though he maintained their protective rune, it was hard to shake the apprehension of the dog's return.

Then, finally, they crested a ridge and saw the crackling light of a new campfire, suddenly close and warm in the hollow among the hills.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison was curled up by the fire. A part of her felt a little embarrassed having been carried there like a small child…

She looked up at her towering friend. "Ye should've saved your strength." It was a silly thing to say. The girl towered over men; her painted limbs looked to be carved from mountains. Still, Addy was strong in her own way, wasn't she? "We were sent here to train to survive."

"Right," said Baldy. "And we weren't sent out on our own. We were paired together so we can help each other in weak moments and learn from each other's strengths."

"I can't learn to carry a person for a mile. And what can ye learn from me in me weak moment?"

"That you're a lousy judge of distance. It better not be a whole mile. I still need to go back for your kill."

"You work hard for a princess!"

"You exaggerate my position. I'm a chieftain's niece, not a princess. I don't sit on my royal ass and call upon poncy, pantalooned servants to drag, carve and cook your kills."

"What a shame. I'd love it if you could…"

* * *

"…have the men go and fetch me buck, princess."

A smile crossed Addison's face. She mumbled unintelligibly for a few seconds, then hugged her knees and slept in silence. In her dream, she could already smell the buck meat cooking.

 

[Nimue]

The new fire glowed in the wilderness. In its light, Farrun counted faces, and his aching shoulders relaxed a little. "All safe?" he said aloud. "Is anyone else injured?"

Someone had laid out a bedroll beside the fire, and regardless of who it was meant for, Farrun swung around and laid Addison down for steadier sleep. He straightened, and his head swam a little, but it was easy to ignore. He flexed sore arms--Addison wasn't heavy, for a grown woman, but her weight had told on him over the distance--and looked back at Einan.

For a moment, in the flickering light, he saw Einan standing there solemnly with white-fletched arrows protruding from his chest and throat. Farrun inhaled sharply, but the vision was gone. He could not forget it. "Einan," he said shortly. "Sit down. I want to look at your head again before you nod off."

He cast his gaze back at the others. "Can someone heat water for me? There are bandages and salves in one of the bags. I want to let their injuries rest and drain, close them up tomorrow. Don't want scarring." Nor the mistakes he might make if he pushed his healing without a night's rest first.

There was a sudden rush of dragon wings behind the camp, like a great beast breathing. Thoros's bronze glittered in the last gleam of sunlight. They deserve to eat well tonight, he rumbled in Farrun's mind. That was true, at least, Farrun thought, rubbing his eyes. "Thoros is going to get the buck that Addison shot," he said aloud. "Rikhard, have you dressed a deer before?"

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard looked over at Farrun, then shrugged. "I've seen it done, but I'm not sure how good I'd be at doing it myself. Usually the meat I work with is dressed for me."

 

[DMThaane]

Loke stood and stretched. His legs burned slightly and his right leg had been bruised by the dog's bite. His arms, likewise, were starting to ache. But in spite of all of that, it felt good to have bloodied his axe once more. He felt alive again; restored. Vyrhel had been watching over him and she had stayed her hand. Did she approve of his actions? The elves spoke of her as an arbiter of fate.

He heard Farrun's query over injuries.

"My hand," he said, walking over and holding it out. "Cut it on one of my own axes, if you can believe. Not deep but it does make the shield hard to carry."

 

[Nimue]

"I can help you with it," Farrun told Rikhard. "You'll have practice. This won't be our last venison meal, out in the wilds."

He turned to Loke as the man spoke up, his brows raised. He was a little surprised that Loke would cut himself on his own weapon, but he said nothing. He had fumbled too, faced with that vision of despair. Two young people were now wounded because he had been caught off guard. With an effort, he set that thought aside.

"We'd like you fighting fit," he agreed and reached automatically for Loke's hand, turning his palm flat. The cut wasn't too deep; there was no danger to his tendons. Farrun studied it for a moment in the dim light and, numbing the injury, began to heal. He scoured away the dirt and salt--though it was a much cleaner cut than those from gytrash tooth or claw--and mended the deeper end of the cut.

"I'd clean that with water and bandage it. I'll have to heal it fully later," Farrun said, a note of apology in his voice. "I need to be sure that Einan and Addison are on their way to healing. Addison had her shoulder and side torn up--though what wore on her worse was an attempt to enchant the black dogs," he said, almost to himself. "Einan got chewed up too, and took a bad knock on the head."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison was awakened by the boom of Loke's voice. She sat in silence for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened. Dreams of her past calmed her.

When Farrun referred to Addison's panic attack, she felt a need to explain herself.

"It wasn't a complete failure." Turning to Rikhard, she added, "The beast tricked me into thinking it was ripping ye to shreds, but he wasted his time on me when he could've just actually ripped ye to shreds. Ye looked fearless when ye said 'lies and shadows.'" She turned to Loke. "Remind me never to piss ye off now that I know how it feels to have me head split by your axe. Even when the handle bumped me in the drink, the blow cracked a rib. At least one."

 

[Ireth]

Rikhard sighed. He'd come out of this unhurt, but only because he'd run away instead of fighting. These beasts seemed to know exactly what he feared most, and the rest of the group as well. But most if not all of them had stood, and even fought. He'd only stood his ground after there was nowhere else to run.

He looked over at Addison when she spoke, and tried to smile. But he couldn't bring himself to speak.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison saw the attempt to feign a smile.

"Aw, so you were in a bog. I was crying and almost pissed meself, and the worst of it's that I knew o' these damn dogs. I saw 'em through the buck's eyes, and the bucks just figured 'em as black wolves. So when I heard 'em, that's how I saw 'em… wolves."

Addison was about to sit up, but her shoulder wasn't fully healed. Best to lie still for now, she figured.

"I saw elves, too. Some o' them followed the sounds o' the gytrashes' movement, and a tricky one gave me an image of a little girl. Couldn't kill that one, so I rolled a shocker to stun the kid, but there wasn't even a dog there. But I was willing to kill what I thought were Yvhalyn—the grown men Yvhalyn anyway. Faced me fears, I did. Just a bonus we got to kill off the pack, or a good number of 'em—and what's most important's that they didn't bump any of us off. But think on what they made ye see. It's your weakness whether ye knew it or not. Beating your weakness ain't easy, but knowing what it is helps."

Addison wondered about that. She couldn't shoot an Yvhalyn that looked like a teenage girl. If that's weakness, I don't ever wanna be strong.

 

[DMThaane]

Loke heard Addison's words. She'd faced her fears but had he? He'd survived, killed the two that had lured him away, but only because that dog had gotten impatient and attacked too soon. Even so, those fake ghosts had crippled him. If it wasn't for… whatever that vision had been.

Yet even now he could almost see, from the very corner of his eye, a pair of golden eyes looming out of the fine mist. Even now the echo of words rattled around in his mind. Why did they still haunt him? They were dead. Dead when he was just a boy, bearing a different name.

He found his hand had slipped up to where the locket was concealed beneath his shirt. "I'm going to the stream," he announced. "My weapons still aren't as clean as I'd like and Snorri could use a drink."

He untied the small horse and Snorri immediately snuffled his hand for treats.

"I shall call if anything leaps out at us," he said, leading the horse away.