The trotting of a horse is a distinct sensation. It bounced me up and down, back to front, and I was vaguely aware that I must be tied to the saddle. I certainly would have fallen off by now otherwise. Odd, that I would be tied to a horse, when my last memory was blacking out in Eberon's home.
The light against my eyelids was bright and I didn't think I'd enjoy the light just yet. Instead of looking around, I used my other senses. Wherever I was, it was cool. Even Thanantholl in it's perpetual crisp air was warmer than this. My tongue was dry as a bone and stiff. I hadn't had anything to drink in some time, I was sure of it.
We raced along the countryside for a while. I could hear occasional noises and smell the odd scent that told me I was with my friends.
We slowed briefly and I could feel hands checking the straps that secured me. I found it odd that they were doing it while still moving, and not stopped.
I fluttered my eyes open and I saw midnight blue.
"Thain," I mumbled.
"You're awake," he said softly. "Eberon, Schula, we're stopping."
I glanced around, blinking in the bright light. I was riding Boxfield. He slowed his trot to a stop in a rocky field with snow dusting the ground. I could see sharp mountains in the distance, nothing like the mountains I grew up in. These were jagged and cold.
Thain undid the straps holding me to the horse and Picked me up gently. I winced, my back still burned.
"How are you feeling, little bird?" Eberon asked.
"Sore," I murmured. "I feel like my back is burning."
"I bet you're thirsty." Schula brought a water skin to my lips and I drained it while she rubbed her cool hands to my seal.
"Thank you," I croaked out.
"We need to keep moving," Thain said, his voice low. "Schula, can you take care of the creatures? I trust you have more experience with them than Eberon does."
"Sure," she said. "I'll catch up soon."
Schula darted off and Thain began walking with me still in his arms. I was still burning up, but the cool air around me was doing a lot to calm the burning.
"Go on home, boy." Eberon took a pack off of Boxfield and slapped his haunches, sending him into a gallop the direction we had come from.
"Where is Puko?" I asked.
Eberon gave me an apologetic look. "We're going a little fast for him I'm afraid. Schula left him with Mama Flori but he may have decided to chase after us anyway, I'm not sure."
"Okay," I said. I hoped he stayed, for his safety, but knowing him he probably didn't.
"Hold on to me, Wren," Thain ordered.
I nodded into his chest, concentrating on not feeling more nauseous than I already was. I squeezed my eyes shut and wrapped my arms around his neck.
Thain ran. He ran fast.
There had to be a better way to describe his graceful gait through the countryside but I was at a loss for words. When I dared open my eyes, I got glimpses of the rocky ground rushing by which did nothing for my spinning head. I preferred staying in the dark.
We were going faster than Boxfield. I'm sure they were only traveling with a horse to carry me, but now that I could cling to Thain it wasn't necessary. We were making better time now that before.
After a while I got used to the rushing motion around me and I dared to look up. Thain's face was strained as he carried me. Not from my weight in his arms, but from whatever thoughts were swirling around in his head.
"Thain?" I prodded.
He grunted, glancing down at me and then back on the ground ahead.
"What are we doing?" I asked.
"We're taking you to the Sangolin Plains to let off your magic," He said.
"Yeah but..." I licked my dry lips. "Why are we running?
I saw his jaw clench. He didn't answer me.
I let him concentrate on the run, but I let my imagination fuel any number of fears swirling around in my head. I couldn't stop remembering the horrible wraith from outside the Wyldes.
A cool presence brushed against me, drawing my thoughts back to the present.
"They are dealt with." Schula had joined us.
"Let's stop for food, I'm sure Wren needs a break," Eberon suggested from somewhere behind us.
Thain grunted again and slowed down.
I was set down gently onto a blanket, but my back was still in pain. The pack that Eberon took from Boxfield was opened to reveal food.
"Here," Eberon said, handing me a roll and a piece of cheese.
"Thanks." I took it and bit into it just as my stomach growled. I blushed and kept eating.
"Eat quickly," Thain warned. "We move as soon as we can."
Thain remained seated very close to me, I could feel his warmth from where I sat. It was a comforting presence.
"How many of them were there?" Eberon asked, turning to Schula.
"Six," Schula answered, grabbing a roll for herself.
"Stars! Are you hurt?" Eberon asked.
"No, they were spread out so I was able to deal with them individually. Their kind doesn't work well together. I'm more surprised they were in such close proximity to begin with." Schula took a bite of her food and sighed. "Wonderful job as always Mama Flori."
I took another bite, watching Schula. She seemed alright, but out of breath. What kind of creatures were they worried about? What court would let something dangerous roam free?
"Are we in the unclaimed Wyldes?" I asked. "What creatures were you fighting? Are they chasing us?"
Thain stiffened, letting out a low growl. "Don't worry about it."
"She has every right to know," Eberon said.
"We're on the edge of the Winter lands," Schula told me. "The creatures I was just dealing with are called flesh hounds."
I shuddered. "Why are they called flesh hounds?" I asked.
Schula looked between Thain and Eberon. Finally, Eberon cleared his throat.
"They hunt the flesh of warm things. I think we can leave it at that," he said.
"So they are following us because of me?" I stuffed more of my roll into my mouth, trying to eat quickly so we could leave.
"Yes," Eberon said. "Though they may have picked up on our presence anyway, don't worry about it, little bird. Schula is more than capable of keeping them off of us."
"Are you all done?" Thain growled. "We need to move before we attract more."
I popped the last bite in my mouth and nodded.
Thain scooped me up while Schula and Eberon packed the bag once more.
We took off. Schula in front of us, Eberon behind us. We ran like that for what felt like hours with only one break to relieve our bladders in the middle.
The run was quiet. I concentrated on keeping my seal in tact, pushing back at the power trying to claw out of the magic bubble they put it in. I knew I felt hot, but I could tell that I was affecting the others too. I caught glimpses of sweat on each of them, and while I couldn't tell on Thain's dark skin, I could see that Eberon and Schula were flushed and pink.
What bothered me more than my fire overheating the others was the fading light. I was frightened enough of the flesh hounds as it was, I could only imagine what other things came out at night in this part of the Wyldes.
"It's getting dark," Schula said, startling me out of my thoughts. "We need to get inside."
"Do you have somewhere?" Thain asked.
"Yes, this way."
I felt us veer to the right, running dangerously close to a treeline that had finally appeared as we drew closer to the mountains. Schula lead us to a rocky outcropping which had a solid wooden door built into it.
"It's no palace, but climb on in." Schula held the door open and Thain carried me through the door first. I let my fae eyes adjust, but once the door closed and we were in pitch blackness I wouldn't be able to see at all.
The walls were all limestone, we were pretty much in a cave. There was about enough room for all four of us to lay down on the ground for the night, but that was about it. I nearly missed to two small vent holes near the upper part of the wall that allowed fresh air in.
"All in?" Schula asked, but tugged the door closed behind her without waiting for an answer. My heart jumped in the darkness, until a tiny flicker of light provided enough for my eyes to see by.
Eberon held a tiny flame, barely the flicker of a candle in his palm.
"Normally we wouldn't have a light for fear of the flesh hounds," he explained. "But this won't add any more heat than we already have, so it should be fine."
A pang of guild hit my stomach hard, but there wasn't anything I could do about it now.
"We should reach the Sangolins tomorrow," Schula said. "We shouldn't need any more of these shelters either, provided Wren lets off her power within a few hours. We can go straight to the city."
"There are more of these places?" I asked.
"A few more, yes. They are scattered along the treeline for travelers. The territory is so big and some of the creatures are so dangerous that these had to be carved out or no one would ever bother traveling to the Winter lands at all." Schula sat down, hugging her knees to her body with a yawn.
"The rules here are pretty similar to traveling in the unclaimed Wyldes," Eberon explained. "When we're in the Winter lands, don't travel at night, don't light fires, don't go deep into the treeline, and when you're between safe places, don't stop moving for long."
My heart thudded, drumming in my ears with anxiety and fear. The horrors of the unclaimed Wyldes were already enough, but the Winter lands didn't really sound any better. In fact, they were almost worse.
"I thought all the courts were safe lands?" I mumbled.
"They are safe to their kind," Schula gave me a reassuring smile. "If we were Winter court we would have a better feel for the creatures around here. We could avoid them easier, and we would naturally be running so cold in our blood that most of the creatures wouldn't bother coming after us. But don't worry, because there is nothing around here that we can't handle until you are safely in the Sangolins and releasing your magic."
I nodded and withdrew into myself, sitting in a tight ball and thinking. My back burned, tiny beads of sweat still coated my skin. I hadn't been comfortable in hours and my power still scratched at me from the inside for release.
Eberon pulled food out of the pack and passed it around. We ate in relative silence, not really speaking about much and certainly not speaking about our current predicament.
We finished eating, and sat in more silence. All I had to focus on was my own horrid imagination of all the things that could be lurking just outside the door, ready to tear my into pieces.
"I'll take first watch," Thain said, breaking up the quiet. "You three get some sleep."
He sat right next to the door, his ears trained to the outside world. I don't know what he listened for, but I wasn't willing to ask either.
Eberon handed out blankets to lay down, making the ground more bearable to lay on, then he extinguished his little light.
I laid down, trying to get comfortable. Despite the snow outside and the cool walls of our safe spot I was still hot. I twisted and turned, trying to bring myself to sleep. My body and mind were exhausted from fighting my own magic and I was ready for the darkness to relieve my fight, but I couldn't quite reach that point.
I tossed and turned, rolling several times on my blanket. At one point I took off my boots and scooted my blanket away, trying to embrace the cool ground beneath me. I sighed, trying to lay still enough to simply drift off.
I shivered as something slipped up the back of my shirt. Icy fingers pushed the material out of the way and a cold body pressed against my back. Schula wrapped her arms around my middle and laid down.
I shuddered with relief. When I closed my eyes again, I was finally able to drift off.