“A little longer, then.”
I relaxed slightly and crawled up to the edge of the hollow, peering out into the gloom. No warrior maid appeared through the mists. I slid back.
“Maybe she’s looking for us? I could just do a quick ring around the tree, to see if I can find her.”
“Mallt, I don’t think that’s wise.”
I chewed my lip. I felt horribly helpless, just sitting here and waiting. Belis might be yards away and not know it. Worse still, she could be injured or dead, lying cold in the dirt while nameless creatures gorged on her flesh.
There was a rustling from behind us and I sat up. Something was probing at the edge of our pit, causing the piles of silt and ash to trickle down the sides. I unsheathed my sword and crept towards it, waving to Rhiannon to get behind me. I prepared to spring, hoping I could lodge the blade deep and prevent any screaming. I leapt forward, just as Belis jumped down into the hollow.
I dropped my sword and flung myself at her. I hugged her tight, feeling the solid thud of her heartbeat. Belis patted my shoulders and I remembered myself and stepped back. She looked tired but unhurt, no visible blood or bruises.
“We were about to move,” Rhiannon whispered. “Did you manage to lose them?”
Belis nodded. “Led them a merry chase, then ducked back and lay on my stomach in the dirt for an hour. Since then I’ve spent most of the time looking for you.” She smiled at me and I felt the anxiety in my chest settle.
“Do you need to rest?” I asked.
“No, better we keep moving. I want to cover a few more miles before dark.”
Rhiannon nodded and climbed out of the hollow. I reached out for Belis’s arm.
“Are you truly all right?” I asked. I could hear my voice wavering. “I wanted to come and find you.”
Belis put her hand over mine. “I am. And I’m glad you didn’t. There are bigger things at stake than my life.” She grinned. “Besides, I can take care of myself. You should know that by now. Come on, let’s go.”
We stepped back to the surface level. The dust had cleared a little but the light was already beginning to fade. Belis organised us into a marching order, her leading, Rhiannon following and me at the back. She gave my hand a quick squeeze before setting off. I waited for Rhiannon to begin moving then followed.
Belis set a steady pace, leading us between piles of boulders and around stagnant ponds.
The ground was soft underfoot, coated in drifted piles of ash, so that every step pulled at my calf muscles, sucking at my feet. The only benefit was that it muffled our footfall. Around us, but out of sight, theshadowbittenwhimpered and whined. Flies droned in my ears, landing on my lips and clustering around my nose and eyes. I tried to ignore them, to save my energy, but it was too irritating and I swiped at my face, causing them to lift off for a moment only to settle again as soon as I lowered my hands.
Belis padded ahead of us, peering through the darkness, her spear clenched in one hand. Every couple of hours she called a halt, giving us a few minutes to catch our breath and take sip from our rapidly emptying waterskins. Then we were off again, traipsing through the night.
I found my mind wandering. I had spent so much of my life doing almost exactly this, travelling across the land, first as the Nightshade, then the weeks of walking to Annwn with Belis. I had always loved the sensation of the world unfurling before me, no matter if it was through places I had been a thousand times before. Every step, every breath, was new, the landscape changing around me. Even in my mortal form, with weak legs and burning lungs, my eyes had always been greedy for beauty. This place was different. Walking here was dull; the unchanging grey, the sulphurous stench of the air sapped my will to carry on. I could barely muster the energy to put one foot before theother. I didn’t even want to run away; I simply sought to give up, to lie down in the dirt and wish myself home.
I paused, looking down at the drifts of ash and silt. It did look comfortable, surely better than this endless walking. Belis would be all right without me. She hadn’t even wanted me to come in the first place. Maybe I should just have a little rest, let her and Rhiannon keep going. I swayed forward, sinking to my knees. My eyelids sagged, suddenly unbearably heavy. My fingertips trailed in the ash. It felt soft, fine, like river sand.
A strong arm wrapped round my waist and hauled me up. “On your feet, Mallt,” Belis said in my ear. “Can’t stop yet.”
I moaned and almost toppled forward again but Belis gripped me tight. Rhiannon pushed back my hair, looking into my face.
“What’s wrong with her?” Belis asked. I could hear the frown in her voice, but my eyes had slid shut again.
“I’m not sure.” Rhiannon sounded concerned.
“Should we stop and rest?”
“No, if we stop now I’m worried she won’t get back up.” She paused. “Do you have any food left?”
“Some, but I don’t think she can chew right now.” Belis tightened her arm around me.
I wanted to reassure her that I was fine but I couldn’t find the strength to open my mouth. I gurgled, trying to force out some words, and my head flopped forward.
“How much further do we have to go?” Belis asked. I heard Rhiannon sigh.
“A few more miles at least, and we’ll need to save some energy for when we get there.” Belis ground her teeth.
