The Hungering Flame (2 page)

Garrett thought for a moment.
“
It’s weird,
”
he said,
“
I feel like I should be scared, maybe I am, a little, but, I don’t know... This feels important. You know what I mean?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Warren sighed,
“
I know what you mean.
”

From somewhere beyond the trees, the shrieks of terrified horses filled the air.

“
That’s Marla!
”
Garrett said,
“
Let’s go!
”

Garrett and Warren swung their legs over the crouching wolves’ backs, and the beasts rose beneath them. The howls of Marla’s wolf carried above the trees, but Hauskr and Ghausse made no sound as they rushed through the underbrush toward the camp.

Warren and Garrett hugged their wolves tightly as they burst from the bush into the
fire lit
clearing. Red-armored soldiers scrambled to their feet, drawing blades and
war hammers
, and shouting in alarm.

Garrett dug his fingers into Ghausse’s fur as the big wolf jumped headlong, knocking a startled soldier off his feet. Garrett had never seen a living Chadiri this close before. The man was big and blonde, clean-shaven, with wide green eyes. The man exhaled sharply as Ghausse
leapt
off his chest and ran on toward the bound prisoner.

The soldier nearest the prisoner snarled in pain as he caught a massive ghoul fist in the face. Warren was on his feet beside the prisoner now, and the bound young man looked up at the ghoul with his mouth agape.

“
Don’t be afraid!
”
Garrett shouted,
“
We’re friends.
”

“
I... I’m not afraid!
”
the dark-haired young man said,
“
Who are you?
”

Warren leaned into a Chadiri hammer strike, catching the haft on his shoulder before grabbing the enemy and hurling him onto the campfire.
“
Talk later!
”
the ghoul barked. Warren grasped the yard-long stake that fixed the young man’s shackles to the ground. With a grunt, he ripped it free, lifting the struggling prisoner with it.

Hauskr
growl
ed as Warren slung the young man across the wolf’s back like a sack of grain, and climbed up behind him.

Ghausse lurched to the left, nearly shaking Garrett free, as he dodged a sword thrust. The Chadiri soldier screamed as the dire wolf’s jaws crunched down onto his mail-clad leg. With a mighty heave, the wolf shook his head, tossing the man aside.

“
Go!
”
Warren shouted.

The two wolves lunged forward, breaking through the confused ranks of soldiers. A moment later, the cool darkness of the trees closed around them again. Angry shouts receded into the night behind them as they ran. Garrett glanced over at Warren as they wove between the trees. The Ghoul’s canine features stretched over bared fangs, his eyes wide and glowing red.
T
he prisoner lay
across the wolf’s back,
his lifted face pale and frightened. The young man pursed his lips and whistled loudly.

“
What are you doing?
”
Garrett shouted, but the wolves separated down different trails
, and
Garrett lost sight of
them
in the trees.

They emerged from the thicket at the base of a low hill. The wolves clawed their way to the top and paused. Their ears pricked up at the approach of another rider, coming through the forest.

Marla’s wolf burst from the tree line to the south. The vampire girl’s grin flashed in the pale glow of the moonlit clouds as Reigha bounded to the hilltop.

“
I chased the horses as long as I dared,
”
she said,
“
I think it will be a while before they can come after us.
”
She looked at the young man slung across Hauskr’s back.
“
What did we get?
”

“
I give you my thanks, dear lady,
”
the young man gasped, twisting his shoulders to face her. He inclined his head respectfully.
“
Prince Cabre of Astorra is in your debt.
”

Marla’s response froze on her lips, and her cheeks went suddenly pink. With deliberate grace, she dismounted her wolf and leapt to the Prince’s side. She leaned across him and grasped the shackles that held his wrists behind his back. The iron chain links twisted and popped, and the Prince’s hands parted.

The Prince slid from Hauskr’s back, and he stumbled on his numbed legs. Marla was suddenly beside him to support him. Prince Cabre smiled weakly, his eyes going from Marla to the massive ghoul still astride the wolf above him.

“
I take it I have found emissaries of the Shadow City?
”
the Prince asked.

Warren laughed.

“
My name is Marla Veranu,
”
she said,
“
and these are my companions, Warren and Garrett.
”

Cabre bowed to each in turn.

Marla smiled gently, pulling the prince’s signet ring from her pocket.
“
I think you dropped this.
”

Prince Cabre’s eyes went wide, and his hands, red and bruised, still wearing the cuffs of the Chadiri shackles like iron bracers, closed around Marla’s pale, delicate fingers. He fell to his knees before her and looked up at her with astonishment.

“
Thank you, my lady!
”
he gasped and pressed his lips to her palm.

Ghausse let out a low growl, and Garrett was suddenly aware that he was clutching the wolf’s fur a bit too tightly.

Hooves thundered through the forest as a massive warhorse burst from the thicket, charging, riderless toward them.

“
Boneash!
”
Warren yelped as Hauskr spun to face the horse with fangs bared.

“
No!
”
Prince Cabre shouted, leaping to his feet with his hands raised,
“
He’s mine!
”

The horse reared, towering above the crouching dire wolves, and nickered angrily.

“
Inglefras!
”
the Prince said,
“
Be calm! They are friends.
”

Inglefras’s front hooves, as big as dinner plates, thudded in the muddy loam as he came down. The horse’s nostrils flared,
and he kicked out with
his
back hooves once behind him.

“
Be calm, be calm,
”
Cabre whispered, slowly approaching the warhorse with his hands low.

Inglefras shifted nervously, but his breathing slowed. Garrett had never seen a horse this large. Inglefras’s
coat
gleamed, the color of hammered steel, and whites like crescent moons shone around his large dark eyes. His mane and tail shimmered a lustrous black. He bore no saddle or bridle, but the frayed tangle of a thick Chadiri rope hung loosely around one hoof, all that remained of a crude hobble.

Prince Cabre continued to sooth the horse as Marla quietly drew the wolves back. The prince knelt and gently pulled the rope from Inglefras’s leg, casting it away into the long grass. He rose again, stroking the horse’s flank with his broad hands.

“
A beautiful animal,
”
Marla said.

Prince Cabre looked back at her over his shoulder, grinning.
“
I thought I’d lost him forever,
”
he answered hoarsely,
“
Again, I thank you!
”

Marla bowed her head in response, blushing again.

Garrett cleared his throat.
“
So, do you think you can make it back home from here?
”
he asked,
“
We’ve got some food we can give you.
”

“
Oh yeah,
”
Warren answered, patting his rucksack with a shaggy paw,
“
I saved some leftovers from breakfast.
”
The ghoul grinned wickedly and winked at Garrett.

“
Warren!
”
Garrett hissed, guessing what sort of leftovers Warren had in his bag.

Prince Cabre smiled, uncertainly.
“
Actually,
”
he said,
“
I was trying to find you.
”

Garrett looked at Marla.

She started to speak, but the sound of a distant horn cut her off. A series of short blasts, followed by a long, ululating, blare rang out through the dark woods. The brassy voice of another horn answered it, frighteningly close.

“
Inglefras!
”
the prince cried, grasping the horse’s mane. The warhorse knelt low, letting the prince swing his leg over then rose again, lifting him high.

Garrett looked up at the young prince who looked suddenly very regal astride the great horse. Cabre turned, scanning the tree line and jabbed his finger toward a gap in the trees.
“
They come!
”

Red-clad Chadiri horsemen burst from the shadows, thundering toward them at full gallop.

“
We have to go
!
”
Marla shouted.

The dire wolves passed like shadows between the trees, their heavy paws sinking deep into the thick carpet of fallen leaves. Garrett lay close against Ghausse’s back, pine boughs slapping against his leggings and cloak.

Prince Cabre, astride Inglefras kept pace, the great silver horse powering through the underbrush and leaping deadfalls with ease.

Marla led them, the wolves responding instantly to her silent cues. Garrett hoped she had some idea of where to go.

Marla’s wolf suddenly turned and pounced into a deep gulley so thick with shadow that it might have been a bottomless pit for all Garrett’s human eyes could see. Ghausse did not bother to consult his opinion but leapt in after his mistress. Garrett looked back over his shoulder to see the prince’s horse pause at the rim of the gulley.

“
After them, boy!
”
Cabre said, and the big horse lunged forward in pursuit.

“
The road!
”
Marla called out as they emerged from the shadows. A broad, curving trail stretched away in either direction, though Garrett could hazard no guess whether it ran north to south or east to west.

Horns sounded in the forest again, two sharp notes followed by a drawn-out
barumph
.

“
They’re calling to other units in the area!
”
Prince Cabre said, yanking a thorn branch from his ripped tunic.

Garrett looked at Marla. Her wide eyes scanned the road in each direction.
“
This way, as fast as we can go!
”
she said, and the wolf Reigha carried her off down the old road with the others close behind.

At least enough moonlight filtered through the trees that Garrett could see the pale ribbon of road ahead, and he raised himself up a bit, holding his hood tight to his forehead with his left hand as he looked around.

Warren
rose
up on the back of Hauskr as well. The ghoul sniffed loudly and growled.
“
Marla!
”
he shouted,
“
Wrong way!
”

Ahead of them, a score of Chadiri cavalry, mounted on auburn-maned horses rounded a bend in the road.

Three wolves and the warhorse wheeled and ran the other way, carrying their breathless masters with them. The Chadiri had them in sight and pursued close behind. Two quick, sharp blasts of a horn alerted the other searchers to their location. After that, the pursuers made no sound but the thudding of hooves.

Garrett dared a glance back over his shoulder, and his heart lurched in his chest. The Chadiri’s lean red horses gained ground. The fingers of Garrett’s right hand ached as he released his claw-like grip on Ghausse’s fur and reached back to the heavy shoulder bag that bounced against his hip.

“
Look out!
”
Marla shouted.

On either side of the road ahead, red-armored soldiers were busy pulling their horses into the brush. Seeing the fugitives’ approach, they abandoned their half-finished ambush and drew their weapons. Some moved to block the road, even as others readied their bows.