“If only I could swallow these noble knights whole…” The way Rhave speaks it makes it clear that he does not find the knights noble at all. A sentiment I’m inclined to agree with given what limited knowledge I have of them.
I glance at the two men. They don’t react to Rhave’s comments, despite my thinking they would. Evander stares off at nothing. Bardulf paces restlessly.
“Ah,” Aurora hums softly, drawing my attention. “They can’t understand us.”
“What? But…”
“The tongue of spirits. With a part of my magic, you can understand them now,” she explains.
“I can’t understand Folost and Mary.”
“Well, that’s because?—”
“Stop stalling.” Bardulf stops his pacing and returns to exhausting his energy on us. “Open the Fade, now, or I’ll be led to believe that you’re conspiring against us.”
If only he knew…
“Rhave, if you please.” Aurora’s shoulders slump slightly with the weight of resignation.
“I’d rather not, but if you insist.” Rhave moves to the side, absorbing back into the living shadow that is the wall of the Fade. I’m not sure if he is some kind of spirit of safe passage, or of shadow. Either seems a safe bet. Were I a more powerful witch, I would probably be able to tell at a glance. Grandma told me stories of how her mother’s mother could sense a spirit’s presence without even having to see them.
A narrow tunnel splits the Fade, the swirling mist pushing to the sides enough to give passage. It is still a world of complete darkness, the grasses blackened, shadowed trees punching through the walls of the tunnel.
Evander starts in first, leading the charge. He motions to Aurora, who follows a step behind. Bardulf thrusts his finger toward me and then the tunnel, as though I might have somehow been confused as to what was expected of me.
Refraining from giving him a smart remark, I step forward. Though, I pause at the entrance of the Fade. I can feel Mary quivering at my hip. Folost smolders, hanging on the side of the stone closest to me. I hold him a little lower, wishing I could wrap an arm around him to help him feel safer.
“Go,” Bardulf barks.
I ignore him, instead staring into the shadow and stating my intention. “Thank you, Rhave, for this passage you’ve offered us. I will accept your graciousness with gratitude. I will not take anything from your domain which is not offered nor leave my mark upon it.”
There is no response. I wait, worried that somehow Aurora is misinformed and I do not actually speak his language.
“Enough mumbling. Go!” Bardulf pushes me between my shoulders again, causing me to stumble. Pain shoots down to my ankles, causing my knees to buckle.
I tip forward, trying to catch my balance. But the ground of the Fade doesn’t feel quite solid under my feet. I clutch Folost, trying to hold him aloft. I twist my body, reaching out on instinct to stabilize myself so I don’t land on Mary. My fingers close around something warm and solid and I’m able to quickly right myself.
The shadows slowly pull away from me. I release what I held onto and meet the eyes that carve hollows into the Fade. Rhave hovers there and, for a second, neither of us moves.
“Look after her, please,” he whispers.
“I will,” I vow with ease.
“Enough talking.” A hand closes around the back of my neck, shoving me forward again.
I stumble, but am able to keep myself mostly upright this time. “You don’t have to manhandle me.”
Bardulf leans in and snarls. “I can do to you whatever I please.”
A shiver runs down my spine, and not from the chill that lives in this strange barrier between worlds. He means it. And there is so much left unspoken around those words.
“Bardulf, Faelyn, enough delay,” Evander barks. “We need to keep moving; the wolf king is expecting us to return with haste, and you know he does not take kindly to being kept waiting.”
There’s enough ominous undertones to those words as well that I only feel colder.
What will this “wolf king” be like?
I have to get Aurora and myself back across the Fade as soon as I can. But, to get home, we must venture farther past this unnatural barrier and into the magical world beyond: Midscape.
