![]() ![]() She removed his saddle and packs before collecting feed from the stable. Dorn was the best of mounts, yet he would slow her down-and if he was unsettled now, his great heart might fail when they faced the beast. The strength of Hanan’s seed had not yet faded, however, and the combined might of ten warriors did not equal her own. The name of the ancestor who’d lain with the god had long since passed from human memory. Hanan’s blood also ran through Laina’s veins, though hers bled red rather than silver. There the beast lived, and as the ages passed, its descendants began hunting farther and farther south, making dens in caves of ice upon snow-capped mountains, their hatred for Hanan’s favored creatures feeding the fire that warmed their flesh. Enraged, the god grasped the beast in his fist and hurled its hulking mass into the far northern reaches, where desolate plains shivered against mountains of ice. The monstrous beast he whelped had not even opened its eyes before slashing at the god with deadly talons, rending Hanan’s flesh and spilling his silver blood. It was said the ice walkers were created after the insatiable god Hanan mated with a long-toothed snow cat and a Tarian ape, then spat the seed he’d drawn from both into his own godly womb. At the broad toes, sharp indentations in the snow indicated long, sickle-shaped claws.Īn ice walker-and that abominable beast was on the hunt. The beast had walked on two feet, but its bare, padded soles were bigger than any man’s. Three travelers, who had been lucky enough to depart before those at the inn met their unhappy fate.īloodstained tracks followed them. Snow had fallen that morning and yet new tracks marked the road. Outside, she trudged north across the clearing. A slaughter lay inside.Ĭold settled into her chest. The wide doors were ajar, held open by a horse’s bloodied hindquarters. ![]() But these remains were not burnt, so they had been dropped here before the flames started-as if, after killing everyone inside, the beast had gone in search of more. But one animal-or even a pack-would not attack an inn. Laina’s own blade had recently tasted the blood of a long-toothed cat that had stalked her over the mountain pass. There were many beasts that would kill and consume a human. The frigid mountain air skimmed over her teeth on a sharply indrawn breath. ![]() The joints were ragged, the flesh torn away in chunks. ![]() Shadows and the ring of dark earth around the walls had concealed the carnage until she was upon it. Blood stained the trampled snow nearer to the inn. Except for the occasional soft crackle of charred wood, all was quiet. The hem of her red cloak whispered across the snow as she approached the smoldering ruins. She drew her sword, gaze sweeping the moonlit clearing. The steadiest of horses in battle, Dorn wasn’t often unsettled. His big hooves stamped the snow in an uneasy, muffled beat. Beside her, Dorn shook his head and snorted plumes of steam. She dismounted, her boots sinking ankle-deep into the soft powder. A pyre would finish what the fire had begun. Silver-fingered Rani would carry their souls back into Temra’s arms, but that goddess did not take flesh with her, and Laina could not leave the bodies to rot. Perhaps the flames blocked their escape or they were too drunk to know death was upon them. That scent was not a roasted midwinter pig. A sickly-sweet scent joined the smoke on the wind. Around the building, the snow had melted, exposing a dark ring of earth. Author’s Note: This is a short piece that I wrote for a blog and features Mala’s cousin, Laina, who was mentioned in “The Beast of Blackmoor.” This takes place after that story but there are no spoilers for it.Īt the inn beyond the mountain pass, Laina found death instead of a midwinter celebration. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |