The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 3

Osric plunged deeper into the forest, pushing himself as fast as he could without breaking his neck by stumbling over a root or stone. He was still in the section of the forest familiar to him. He’d wandered through this section many times over the years, but that had always been in the daylight. Things looked very different in the pitch-black. Maybe if he had a torch or lantern to guide him, he would recognize his landmarks, but he dared not light anything. Not with those men out there, searching for him.

The darkness only amplified his fears. Every snap of a branch or rustle of a leaf sent his pulse racing, afraid that they’d found him. Osric slowed as more moonlight shone through the tree canopy. He wasn’t a woodsman by any stretch of the imagination, but he’d spent enough time in the forest to know that it meant he was coming up to a road.

Moments later, he stepped through the thick underbrush onto one of the roads that crisscrossed through the forest, leading from small village to small village. He looked in both directions. Seeing no one, he quickly crossed and headed toward the thick underbrush on the far side. He had gone no more than a few dozen yards when he nearly collided with a cloaked figure suddenly emerging from behind a wide oak.

Osric stumbled back, hand flying to the hilt of his sword. The figure let out a startled gasp and dropped the bundle they had been carrying. As the bundle spilled open, the flickering light of a small lantern in the person’s hand illuminated a familiar face framed by wild red curls.

“Talia!” Osric said, breathing out in surprise and relief.

“Osric?” Talia whispered back. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said.

Instead of replying, she stepped back, looking him up and down, taking in his disheveled appearance. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Has something happened?”

“It’s... it’s a long story.”

Talia kneeled to gather up the spilled herbs and roots she had dropped, packing them back into her satchel.

“Right. We shouldn’t stay out for long. Miriam gets angry if I’m on the road too late, but I was delayed and... it doesn’t matter. Do you want to walk with me back to the village?”

Osric hesitated, his eyes darting back to the trees. “I can’t go back to the village, Talia. Elder Miriam told me to flee into the woods and hide. She said it wasn’t safe.”

“What? Why would she say that? Did something happen?”

“It’s... complicated. I ran into some trouble. A strange man was in the village, asking about someone finding something old, special, maybe in the forest. I tried to go back to Master Ironhand, and he followed me, demanding I hand the ‘artifact’ over. When I refused, he tried to take the ring by force. We struggled, and in desperation, I grabbed the ring. It... it unleashed some kind of magical energy. There was a blinding glow, and when it faded, the man had been reduced to ash.”

Osric and Talia both spun around at the sound of snapping twigs behind them. Two dark shapes emerged from the brush on the other side of the road. As they stepped into the faint glow of Talia’s lantern, Osric’s gut twisted with dread.

“Bandits,” she said under her breath in surprise.

Osric knew they weren’t bandits. He recognized the heavy black cloaks, tall boots, and swords at the men’s waists. They were dressed like the man from the village.

“Thought you could run from us,” one of the men said with a high-pitched sneer.

“I wasn’t... we’re just travelers. Please, I just want to continue on my way,” Osric said.

“Aww, you hear that, Kaelen? He wants to continue on his way,” the first man said.

“You aren’t going anywhere, boy,” the larger bandit, presumably Kaelen, said. “We heard what you said and we know what you’re carrying, and you’re going to hand it over or we’re going to take it off your corpse.”

“Run,” he said to Talia. “Tell Elder Miriam...”

“Oh, she’s not going anywhere,” the smaller man said, pulling his sword. “Neither of you are.”

Osric’s hand clenched around the hilt of his sword. He’d only been in one fight, and that hadn’t gone well for anyone. Pulling the sword, he stepped away from Talia, in front of her, in the vain hope he could somehow protect her. He braced himself, sword held out before him with both hands, like Master Ironhand had shown him.

The smaller man moved in first, a cruel grin on his face. He lunged forward, slashing high with his sword. Osric parried, metal clanging off metal, as he stepped back to avoid the blow. The man pressed on, raining down quick strikes that Osric struggled to block.

Out of the corner of his eye, Osric saw the larger man, the one who’d been called Kaelen, moving to get around him. Osric shoved back hard, pushing his opponent off balance before spinning to face the new threat. Kaelen’s sword came sweeping low. Osric jumped back, the tip just missing his stomach.

Regaining his footing, the smaller man renewed his attack. Osric found himself driven back, a blade cutting across his stomach, not deep, but leaving a red line in its wake and pain searing through Osric.

“No!” Talia screamed.

Dropping her basket, she began moving her hands in an intricate pattern; her left hand held up with three fingers splayed. Her right hand moved in a quick circle in front of the outstretched fingers, tracing a glowing path in the air. As the circling hand completed its rotation, Talia thrust it forward. Three glowing bolts of light sprang from her outstretched palm, shooting forth in a straight trajectory toward Kaelen.

The bolts flew in rapid succession, trailing comet-like tails as they raced through the air. Kaelen had no time to react before the missiles slammed into his chest one after another, sending him flying backward, slamming into a tree before collapsing, unmoving, to the forest floor.

Osric stared at Talia in disbelief as the magic bolts flew from her hand, felling the large attacker. He had seen her perform minor spells before, harmless tricks and illusions, but nothing like this.

Distracted, he was a moment too slow in raising his sword as the smaller man lunged forward, driving his sword deep into Osric’s chest. Pain exploded through him as the blade pierced his body. Osric cried out, the sword falling from his suddenly numb fingers. He sank to his knees as the man yanked the blade free in a spray of crimson.

Clutching the gushing wound, Osric fell back, dimly aware of Talia rushing to his side. She caught him, lowering him gently as his lifeblood spilled out onto the forest floor. Osric’s vision tunneled, the pain receding as shock set in.

Above him, the man who had run him through stood grinning wickedly, blade poised for a final blow. With the last of his fading strength, Osric’s fingers closed around the ring on his hand. He didn’t know what he was doing, only acting on instinct.

The ring flared, bathing the forest in blinding radiance. The man screamed as he was engulfed, flesh and bone disintegrating until only scattering ash remained, just as the man in Eldham had been. This time, however, something else happened. The light turned on Osric, tendrils of energy lancing into his wound. He convulsed in Talia’s arms as the mystical force knit torn flesh and restored spilled blood. Just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. Osric gasped, strength flooding back into his limbs. The pain was gone, the mortal wound sealed as if it had never been.

Osric stared down at his blood-soaked tunic in disbelief.

“It... it healed me,” he stammered. “I don’t understand. How is this possible?”

He looked up at Talia. She was pale, her eyes wide with shock. Slowly, she took a shaky step back from him.

“Talia, it’s okay,” Osric said gently. He got to his feet, holding his hands out in a gesture of reassurance.

Talia stepped away from his reaching hands, eyes darting between the pile of ash that had been the assassin, the crumpled form of the other across the road, and back to Osric.

“You... you killed them,” she whispered, her hands covering her mouth. “Oh my God. I killed that man. Elder... she said never to use my knowledge to harm, but they were attacking you, and I got so scared. Oh my God, what have I done?”

“You saved my life, Talia,” Osric said. “If you hadn’t done that spell, I’d be dead right now.”

“You were dead,” she said, her voice quavering as she wrapped her arms around herself, looking small and lost. “He stabbed straight through you. I saw the blade come out the other side. You were dying. I could see it. Then the light, it... I don’t understand how that happened.”

“I don’t either,” Osric said. “It doesn’t...”

He stopped, turning his head towards the trees. The sound of voices, distant but drawing nearer, echoed through the forest.

“We have to go, now,” Osric said urgently, grabbing his sword from the ground and reaching out his hand to her.

Talia hesitated only a moment before taking it, allowing Osric to pull her into the underbrush, away from the road. They ran through the dark forest, branches whipping against them. For hours they ran, both pushing as fast as they could. Talia had dropped her lantern when she’d gone to him as he fell, and left it behind when they ran. Several times they almost collided with a tree, seeing it at the last possible moment, but both were too scared to slow down, even for safety.

Finally, exhaustion overtook them, and they were forced to stop, collapsing against the thick trunk of an ancient oak tree. Gasping for breath, they leaned against the rough bark. Osric’s legs shook with fatigue, and his chest burned from exertion. Talia was pale, her wild red curls sticking to her sweat-dampened face.

“I think... I think we lost them,” Osric panted, peering back through the dense trees.

Talia wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the warm night air. Her wide eyes kept darting to Osric’s bloodstained tunic.

“You should have died back there,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “That sword went right through you. I saw the blood, so much blood...”

Her words trailed off as a shudder ran through her slender frame. Osric’s hand went reflexively to his chest, where the fatal blow had landed. Through the rent in the fabric, the skin beneath was smooth and unmarked.

“It was the ring,” he said.

Talia shifted uneasily away from him. “That ring... Elder Miriam warned it was dangerous magic. Now it’s slain two men and brought one back from the dead. Be careful with it.”

“I know. I just... I don’t know how any of this works. I wish I’d never picked it up. All I know is Elder Miriam said it’s bound to me now, which means maybe I can’t ever get rid of it. Maybe it would be safer if we split up. They’re not after you, only me and this cursed ring.”

“I can’t. We ran for so long... I’m lost. I don’t know how to get back to Eldham from here. And we’re not alone. They’re out there somewhere still looking for you, maybe both of us. I dropped my things. They’ll find them. Know I was with you.”

Osric wasn’t sure that was right. A lantern and a basket of herbs wasn’t much to go on, but he knew of hunters who could track a single animal for days through forest and stream, so it was possible they’d realize there were now two of them.

“You’re probably right,” he said. “Maybe things will look different in the morning. More familiar.”

He tried to sound more confident than he felt. Talia managed a weak smile, though her arms remained wrapped tightly around herself. Osric noticed her shivering had gotten worse as the sweat from their panicked flight cooled on her skin. He removed his cloak and draped it around her slender shoulders. She clutched the edges, pulling it close.

“Thank you,” she said through still chattering teeth. “Sorry, I just feel so cold all of a sudden. We probably shouldn’t start a fire, though. They might see.”

They sat in silence for a time, the quiet sounds of the forest night around them. An owl hooted in the distance. Somewhere nearby, a stream gurgled over rocks and roots. The gentle noises blended into a soothing backdrop, lulling him to sleep. Osric felt his eyes become heavy, his head lolling to the side, causing him to jerk himself back upright. He needed to stay awake, in case more men showed up.

Talia’s head dropped against his shoulder, a few loose curls brushing against his neck. Her shivering had subsided, and her breathing had become steady and soft. The warmth of Talia’s body and the weight against him, combined with the exhaustion from the day’s events, allowed sleep to creep through Osric’s body. His eyelids grew heavier until they finally drifted shut.

***

Osric’s eyes snapped open as he felt a gentle nudge on his shoulder. He’d been running through the darkness, an evil red glowing menace chasing him, turning everyone he encountered into ash. His memory of the dream froze in an instant when he saw the large eyes and grey muzzle of a huge wolf mere inches from his face, its hot breath tickling his skin. Talia’s hand clutched his shoulder hard.

Its gaze was intense, with deep brown eyes staring directly into his.

The wolf held his gaze a moment longer before taking two small steps back, putting distance between itself and them. Osric reached out with his left hand, slowly moving it toward the sword lying in the leaves beside him.

“We need to run, now!” Talia whispered urgently.

Osric’s eyes remained locked on the wolf in front of him, its amber eyes staring back unwaveringly. It wasn’t making any move to attack, but it was also still incredibly close to them. There was no way for them to get up and run before the wolf could be on them. Still, he continued to let his hand drift toward the sword, so slowly as to not alert or anger the wolf. Talia’s fingers dug into his shoulder, her rapid breaths loud in his ear.

Just as Osric’s hand wrapped around the leather-bound hilt of his blade, the wolf leaned forward, causing Osric to freeze in place again. Except, it didn’t attack. Instead, it brushed its snout against the ring under Osric’s shirt. An odd sensation went through his body like a wave, crackling along his arms and down his legs. Then the wolf did it again. Osric exchanged a look at Talia, whose face had gone from abject fear to shocked curiosity.

He hadn’t imagined it.

“I… I don’t think it means us any harm.”

“What… how did you do that?” she asked.

“I didn’t do anything. You saw it. It did it on its own.”

“Did the ring call the wolf?”

“You know more about magic than me,” he pointed out.

She didn’t reply. Instead, she watched as Osric slowly let go of the sword and extended his hand toward the animal instead. It showed no signs of aggression, simply watching Osric’s movements. When his hand was halfway extended, the wolf stepped forward again and pressed its head up beneath Osric’s palm.

Osric gently ran his hand over the wolf’s thick fur, feeling a deep resonance as the wolf made a growling noise. It wasn’t a growl, however. He’d never heard anything like it. Talia watched wide-eyed, then tentatively reached her own hand out. To both their surprise, the wolf stepped back, away from her. It didn’t attack, but it didn’t offer its head to her the way it had to him.

“So only you, then?” she said.

“I… I guess. I don’t know. It’s so strange.”

The wolf turned and made a sound like a yip, causing the two of them to freeze again. As if in response, more wolves began to emerge from the trees around them. There were at least six in total, moving to surround Osric and Talia. These wolves were all smaller, and kept their distance, but didn’t seem any more hostile than the large one had been.

The wolf stepped away from them, turning and taking a few steps away from the tree that they’d been leaning against. When Osric and Talia didn’t move, it returned, nudged Osric’s hand, and walked away again.

“Does it want us to follow it?” Talia asked.

“Maybe? I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve actually been this close to a wolf before. And I don’t think anyone’s had one act like this to them.”

“I don’t think so either,” she said. “But it definitely wants us to follow it.”

The wolf was looking from him to her and back again as they spoke. Osric stood up, picked up his sword, securing it to his belt, and took a step toward the animal. The wolf walked forward a few more steps, before turning and looking at them again.

“I guess we follow them,” Osric said.

Osric took a tentative step forward and then another, following the wolf as it turned and padded softly into the trees. Talia fell in beside him, her head swiveling as she tried to watch the smaller wolves as they disappeared and reappeared into the thick underbrush to their left and right, following them.

It was hard to keep track of time, this deep in the trees, but it felt like they followed the wolf for several hours, plodding forward one step after another. Osric wanted to sit and rest, but the wolf seemed to be immune to exhaustion, continually looking back to make sure they were following. As they walked, Osric shared some of the small amount of food Elder Miriam had given him. Talia had dropped everything, including the food she’d had, when they ran, so this was all they’d have for a while, so they ate sparingly, saving as much as they could.

After a while, Osric noticed the trees beginning to thin ahead. The wolf quickened its pace, leading them out of the close-knit woods into a small, sunny clearing. Osric froze as his eyes fell upon two men standing in the middle of the clearing, working on what looked like a trap, perhaps. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword as he exchanged an anxious glance with Talia.

The wolf turned toward the right, moving along the outline of the clearing, but never stepping out of the trees. Osric tapped Talia’s arm and motioned for her to follow the wolf, not wanting to make extra noise that might alert them.

He was less successful than he’d hoped.

“Hello there,” the larger of the two men said. “Who’s out there?”

Osric cursed under his breath. Both men were armed, but not like the strangers. Even from here, Osric could tell they wore older and less used weapons. Weapons he’d seen on hunters and trappers, kept for protection only.

Still, Osric rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as they stepped cautiously into view. The wolf had disappeared into the brush again.

“Apologies for disturbing you,” Osric said in what he hoped was a polite tone. “We were just passing through and didn’t mean to intrude.”

The men both looked at Osric wearily, and then to each other.

“You two are a long way from any villages,” said the larger man with the bushy black beard. “What brings you out this deep into the forest?”

Osric hesitated. They may not be after them, but the strangers had asked everyone around about Osric, or at least what Osric carried, and the two men on the road seemed to know who Osric was. If they came across these hunters and told them about the young man and his red-haired friend from Eldham, it would be the same as if they just gave the men their names and told them they were being chased.

“We’re from Norham, a village west of here,” he lied, picking a random name. “She was sent on an errand to another village and I came to make sure she was safe. As you say, we’re deep in the forest.”

“The girl doesn’t speak for herself?” the smaller of the two men said. “Seems foolish to send a slip of a girl into the woods, even with someone like you to mind her.”

“I can,” Talia bristled.

Osric gave what he hoped was a disarming smile. “Oh, don’t let looks deceive you. She may seem small but she can take care of herself. I’ve seen her brain a drunk with a piece of firewood. Laid him out cold. I’m mostly here to carry any game she snares along the way.”

The pockmarked man looked incredulous, but the bearded one chuckled.

“I’ve known a few tiny ladies who could put a man on his ass. Best not to underestimate them,” he said to his friend before turning back to Osric. “Still, the woods have been more dangerous as of late. Strange men about. Attacked a few trappers I know, so we’ve been wary. Best you get where you’re going quick as you can.”

Osric nodded gravely. “We appreciate the warning. We’ll be on our way swiftly.”

He and Talia moved to leave the clearing. As they reached the treeline, Osric risked a glance back and was relieved to see the wolf had not emerged. Hopefully, it had sensed his desire for it to remain hidden.

They walked until the clearing was out of sight before slowing their pace again. Moments later, the wolf appeared beside them as if it had been patiently waiting just ahead. Talia jumped a little when it materialized from the bushes.

“You’re pretty smart, you know that?” Osric said appreciatively.

The wolf just stared back for a moment before turning to begin walking deeper into the forest.

“Do you really think it understands you?” Talia asked.

Osric shook his head. “I’ve no idea, but it circled all the way around, just like I said.”

Talia nodded, looking after the wolf, who’d stopped to watch them again when they didn’t follow immediately.

“Come on,” Osric said.

They followed the wolf on and on, for hours more, as the sun slowly began to drop in the sky, turning the trees into long shadows. That wasn’t the only change in the forest, though. As they walked, Osric started to notice the woods themselves beginning to change. The trees grew larger, ancient gnarled trunks covered in places with gray-green moss. The undergrowth thinned out save for tall ferns and bushes with vibrant red berries. It felt older here, wilder, with the trees slowly becoming more sparse as they got larger, until ahead they saw another clearing ahead.

Osric slowed, worried they may encounter more men, or expose themselves by stepping into the clearing. Through the trees was a large open field, tall grass swaying gently in the breeze. And at its center stood a large stone structure.

Even in its current dilapidated state, Osric could tell that it had once been an impressive structure. The keep’s once-proud walls were cracked and eroded, all but the central structures reclaimed by the relentless tides of nature. Empty windows gazed sightlessly across a courtyard overgrown with weeds and brambles. The outer towers had collapsed completely, reduced to little more than piles of stone.

Yet at the courtyard’s heart, the great hall still stood, though much diminished. Entire sections of its roof had rotted through or caved in over the centuries, leaving gaping holes open to the elements. Any doors that might have stood in the large stone doorway had long ago decayed into dust. All that remained were crumbling remnants around an empty, darkened doorway.

Beside him, Talia whispered in awe, “Can you believe this place? It must be ancient.”

Ahead of them, the wolf waited, partway to the keep, looking at them, still expecting them to follow. The rest of the pack seemed to have scattered, and Osric wondered what could have happened to them. Were they out there, just beyond the treeline, or had they left them?

“It wants us to go in there?” Talia asked.

“I think so,” Osric said, taking her hand and leading her toward the ancient building as the wolf disappeared inside the darkened doorway.