Beckoning Shadows

Chapter 25

It was cold in the mountains, especially at night. What would have been a pleasantly chilly early spring night in lower elevations was a crisp, frigid one in the pine forest they trekked through. Winter's brittle, jealous fingers, unwilling to relent their cruel grip on the land just yet, clawed their way up though the frozen soil and seized Dark, icy fingers slicing right through his body. Freezing spears stabbed through him, sending chills racing up his back, the back of his neck, his arms, everywhere.

A violent shudder wracked his body. With his free hand, the one not holding up Hugh, he pulled his coat tighter around his body, but its thin fabric was useless against the cutting wind that sliced through the valley. Wispy tendrils of his breath drifted in front of him, ghostly and ethereal in the silvery moonlight. Each puff was smaller than the last; each breath he took grew shallower and shallower. He couldn't draw in enough cold air, no matter how deeply he gasped. If he didn't know the effects of high elevation, he would've thought winter was stealing the air from his lungs.

Hugh, with his arm slung around Dark's shoulder, leaning almost entirely on him, was faring far worse. He was practically hyperventilating and, at this point, Dark was more or less dragging him along. Dark had offered multiple times along their journey to stop and rest early, but Hugh simply glowered at him and insisted on continuing.

Hugh stumbled over something on the dirt path and let out a pathetic wheeze, almost falling to the ground. He proceeded at a mere shuffle, feet barely leaving the ground.

"That's it," said Dark for maybe the fifth time. "We're stopping." He halted and let Hugh take a few unsteady shuffles before stopping as well, leaning more onto Dark.

"No," hissed Hugh.

"It's not because of you." Dark was sure to keep his tone curt, businesslike. "It's been hours since sunset. We're all exhausted. We don't know how much farther we can go--"

"I can see the village," said Jax, from just behind and to the left.

Dark squinted, struggling to make out any sort of coherent shape from the mess of shadows that was the valley. All he could see was the mottled shades of black that made up the landscape, and, beyond, the faint figures of mountains cutting triangles of pitch black out of the deep blue fabric of the sky. "I don't see anything."

"You're looking too far." Jax stepped forward, his shadowy figure sliding into Dark's peripheral vision. "Just down there." He pointed.

Dark followed Jax's finger, pointing just down the hill to a large swath of relatively flat land nestled in the valley. And, distant, faint, a flickering amber light. No, multiple lights, a small smattering wavering as if they would snuff out any moment. Indeed, just as Dark had the thought, one vanished from existence, leaving only an afterimage on his vision. The village was going to sleep.

"Do you see the lights?" asked Jax.

"Yes, I do."

Hugh scowled, squinting downward. "I don't see anything."

"They're definitely there." Dark made up his mind in a moment. "That settles it, then. We'll stop here, and make the trip to the village come morning. Then we'll be well-rested--ready to face a threat, if it turns out to be an angel.

Hugh was silent for a moment. Then, begrudgingly, "Fine."

He allowed Dark to lead him off the dusty path and into the pine trees, where they went to work setting up camp. They traveled light, only possessing a few blankets to lie on--most of their bags were dedicated to food, water, and medicine.

Hugh, once settled down, dozed off almost immediately. Jax scoffed in disdain at his sleeping figure, but said nothing, lying down and pulling a blanket up to his chin.