Silver Secrets

Chapter 19: Bree

I don't remember what happened after Lieutenant Bedauri attacked us. I remember Angaret's chain mail ripping under the werewolf's claws, and I remember all the blood, and Eddie backed up against a tree, shaking so badly he could barely shoot straight. I think I can remember reaching for one of my silver arrows, but I don't think I hit anything. The memories end after I fired. Everything that happened after that is just a blur of blood and screaming.

I know I was lying in the long grass when the fight ended. I wasn't hurt, just hiding. I felt hands pulling me up but they didn't feel like werewolf claws. As soon as I saw the grey skin and chain mail shirt, I knew it was only Clay. He carried me in his arms—not even on his back, but in his arms like a baby—all the way to this abandoned hut, where we've been for the last three days.

I think we're the only people who've used this hut in a long time. Clay said it probably belonged to a woodcutter or a hunter, but there's a big hole in the ceiling so I doubt he'll want it at the moment.

There isn't a lot to do here except wait. Wait for Melanthe or Lieutenant Bedauri to come for us, wait to starve, wait for Angaret to die. I don't think she will, though. I didn't see what actually happened but Bedauri ripped her chain mail right off her back, and a lot else as well. When we first arrived here I thought she was going to die for sure, but Eddie knows quite a lot about healing and things. She's spent the time since the fight lying on her stomach on her bedroll with her shirt off. Her back looked really nasty at first, but it looks a little better every time Eddie changes her bandages. At least Lieutenant Bedauri only clawed her instead of biting her. Then we really would have problems.

The one good thing about this is that River is only really here at night. She spends all day out looking for signs of Melanthe and Lieutenant Bedauri. She thinks she probably didn't kill Melanthe even though she tried to drown her, but Clay said he saw Bedauri wounded really badly. If that's true and he dies or gets sick, then Melanthe won't have anyone to protect her, and River is determined to kill her. She's like a dog who's caught the scent of a rabbit.

On the second day, Eddie wakes me up early and takes me outside. The area around the hut is pretty flat and there's no trees. Against the curved back wall of the hut, he's propped up one of the empty sacks we found in the tiny cellar and filled it with mud and leaves. He doesn't say anything, just hands me my bow and a quiver of arrows, but not the silver-tipped ones.

I miss the first two shots, but on my third try I just graze the sack and it splits, a fat clump of mud tumbling out and smashing on the ground.

Eddie nods. "Not too bad. Bring your arm up a bit, though, and keep your back straighter." He stands behind me and pokes and prods me until he's happy with my stance. "Now try again."

This time my arrow thuds into the top corner of the sack and sticks there.

"How was that?"

Eddie squeezes my shoulder. "Keep practicing your stance, and you'll do great. I think we'll be here a while, so you've got plenty of time."

My smile falls from my face. "Is Angaret going to be all right?"

"In time. I'm going to go and see if I can find a squirrel for dinner. Don't go too far from the hut, all right?"

I don't need to be told that. Sometimes I keep thinking I see a flash of brown fur from the corner of my eye, and my whole body goes cold.

I know as well as anyone that there's monsters in this forest.