Forest of Ruin (Age of Legends 3)

They stepped back onto the path. Gavril's gaze lingered on the wagon driver.

"His spirit has fled," Moria said. "He is at peace."

"I wasn't--"

"You're allowed to express concern for a fellow human being, Gavril. No one will judge you for it." When he opened his mouth, she said, "No one here will judge you for it."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Let's look around."

NINETEEN

They walked in ever-widening circles around the wagon. There were no other bodies. No other signs of death. Nor of shadow stalkers. What they feared most was discovering the other form, the shadows and fog that could possess a man--or rip him to pieces. Moria's powers allowed her to protect them against that, but she did not care to test how long it would last. Yet they saw no sign of fog or shadow.

"The horses are gone," she said. "The livestock in Edgewood had vanished, too. Is that part of the sorcery?"

Gavril shook his head. "Creatures will flee ahead of the shadow stalkers if they can. They sense them, much as you seem to."

"I'm not sure I--"

"You've come to recognize their presence. It's a matter of trusting and understanding that, which we will work on later."

He'd taken the lead while they crested a rise, being nearly a head taller and thus able to see over it sooner. She stared at his back as he said they'd work on it later, as if they were back in the Wastes and nothing in the interim had happened. And truly, at this moment, that was how it felt. As if all the lies and the betrayals and the pain belonged to some half-remembered nightmare.

Complicated.

Yes, it was indeed.

"So the horses fled in panic," she said.

He nodded.

"And we did not hear them? Did not hear the bandits trying to control them or free them before they injured themselves? Did not hear a man trampled to death?"

"I . . . I don't know how. Only we did not. The explanation isn't important."

"Is it not?" she said. "We just saw a shadow stalker, Kitsune. They do not randomly occur in nature."

He slowed, as if only just considering this, and she sighed. "If there are shadow stalkers, then there is a sorcerer who raised them to attack our wagon, and likely magics that kept us both sleeping and safe. It must be someone who is on your father's side, mustn't it? I presume this is not common sorcery."

"No, it is not." His voice was low, his words slow, as if working them through.

"Well, then, how many sorcerers would know it? Since there is no chance we've just happened to stumble on your father himself, out here in the middle of the steppes."

"I believe we are on the edge of the steppes."

Her sigh bordered on a growl now. "That is not my point, Kitsune."

"I know. Just . . . I did not consider . . . The problem is--"

He stopped suddenly and one hand shot up, warning her back. Then he gripped his sword with both hands, and she heard the sound of something being dragged over the hard earth.

"Help me."

The words came muffled and soft, and if it had not been completely silent on the plain they'd not have heard them. The voice came from the same direction as the dragging sound, and they both looked over but saw only the grass. Then the grass swayed as something moved through it.

"Who's there?" Gavril said.