"Davs?”
“Hmm?” With some mild cursing and smacking of hindquarters, Zie urged his edlak forward to ride beside Davs. He would’ve preferred to stay there, but his edlak was smaller and kept gravitating instinctively to the back to follow the bigger edlak nose to tail. “I’m so—” “No.” Davs reached across and patted his knee. “Don’t say it. We’re not sorry you came into our lives. We’re not sorry we came with you. I’m not angry that we’ve had to separate for a bit. Does that cover everything?” “Yes. I’m still sorry.” Zie slumped on his saddle pad searching for words. “When I was on my own, I was in a constant state of fear interrupted by moments of screaming panic. But I couldn’t think about much except how to keep ahead of them. Now, I have entire nights when I haven’t been afraid, when I do nothing but think, and I’m worried all the time. This can’t end well. It’s not a child’s nighttime story. You should be home and safe, having normal lives.” “Our lives haven’t been normal for a long time, sweetling. Ess and I hire ourselves out to protect people from being robbed or killed by other people. In what world is that normal and safe?” Zie wanted to argue that it wasn’t the same. One had a chance against flesh and blood opponents. One simply had to be better. Against shadows, it didn’t matter how good one’s sword arm was or how good a shot. He’d welcome mortal opponents. It would be refreshing to go after someone with knife and claw. He wasn’t certain how sane that would sound if he said it out loud, though. Several minutes went by before he asked instead, “Where are we going?” “To a lake island.” Davs frowned in thought. “No idea if it has a name. But it’s a good place to be if the Shadows catch up. No bridges. Deep lake. A little hunting. Good fishing.” “Water?” Davs shot him a sideways glance. “Zie. It’s a lake.” “Drinkable water.” “Ah. Sorry. The lake water isn’t bad. We boil it, just in case.” “Does anyone live there?” Davs’ smile was wistful. “There are old fortress ruins. The locals believe it’s haunted. Ess and I may have made enough noise one night to add to that belief. Ghosts and sometimes bandits. That’s who lives there. The bandits won’t bother us since they go there to hide and lick their wounds. And if they do?” He shrugged. “More fool them.” I’m finding quiet confidence more and more achingly attractive every day. I have to tell him. I can’t tell him. It would ruin everything. Let me have this for now. Just for a little while longer. By evening, they had reached the aforementioned lake, though to Zie’s eyes, it was more sea than lake. The shore stretched out to the horizon and there was no sign of the opposite side. A black splotch that struck him as rather far from the bank was the lake’s only visible feature. “That’s the island?” “Yes.” “We have to swim out to that?” Davs shot him a puzzled look. “This should be easy for you, shouldn’t it? You could just walk across.” “Water walking is never easy for me,” Zie growled. “Fear and need help me focus, but it’s never easy.” “You don’t have to.” Davs shrugged. “The edlaks will make the swim over easily, and you’re light enough. You could stay on mine while she swims.” Zie let out a relieved breath. “Yes. Thank you.” “Worse than a sand cat about water.” Davs dismounted and began fussing with straps to make sure their packs were secure. “Your family didn’t send you out on trade expeditions?” “We do not swim during those. We have boats.” After Zie had scrambled up onto Davs’ mountainous, black edlak, Davs stood between their mounts with a headstall in either hand and led them into the water. The sand and river pebbles underfoot remained visible for a good ten steps, and Davs was able to wade for perhaps twenty more before the lakebed dropped off sharply. Zie gripped the edlak’s shaggy hair tight as both beasts initially fought Davs and tried to turn back to shore. It was all he could do not to fling his arms around the edlak’s neck and cling like a tiny child. Yes, he could swim though not well. No, he didn’t want to since his flailing about in the water would probably cause Davs understandable concern. And me unredeemable embarrassment. Once Davs got the edlaks pointed toward the island, they stopped fighting him and began to swim in earnest toward the land in front of their noses. While the journey over was wet, Zie grudgingly admitted that it wasn’t terrible. The water here was cool and pleasant rather than the finger-killing cold of the rivers back home, and watching Davs simply being good at things was a pleasure. An even greater pleasure was watching Davs strip off his shirt and boots once they reached the island’s shore, the play of his muscles kissed by the soft light of the evening sun. And oh, what muscles they were—broad shoulders, biceps the size of small melons. The sunshine was suddenly too hot for Zie and he had to peel off his coat and his boots as well. They trudged uphill side by side with the edlaks happy to follow and browse the greenery. Zie certainly approved of taking the highest ground possible, preferably a position that gave one a view of what might be coming in all directions. But he was unprepared for what appeared as they came to the clearing at the top of the island. A ruined fortress, perhaps. Yes. Half the gatehouse had collapsed and one corner, possibly once occupied by a tower, had been reduced to rubble, but this had been quite the fortress. The central tower still stood, along with the three of the outer wall watchtowers, all built of a golden-hued stone that gleamed in the setting sun. It would have been an inviting place to come home to, once. Now many of the windows were missing, with vines hanging down from the casements as if the fortress shed tears. “If ever a building was haunted…” Davs handed over a pack and edlak blanket, preparing to turn their mounts loose for the night. Well-trained edlak never wandered far. “It is. Haunted. But not every night and there’s nothing dangerous.” “Good to know.” Zie followed him to the stairs of the most intact tower. It wouldn’t be his first haunting and sometimes ghosts knew odd things. He just needed the courage to speak to them.
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Episode 21
The edlak that Davs had hired for Essenin was a goer. Nothing showy or nervous, but a mount with a steady, groundeating stride. Most of the time. She did have a tendency to sidestep toward the sides of the road in what she probably thought was a stealthy manner when she spotted a promising berry bush. Essenin decided to call her Sidle. While they’d never been this way specifically, well-traveled roads in this part of the continent had a sort of rhythm to them. Wild fields with copses of trees, farmlands, town, and repeat. True wild lands probably wouldn’t appear until they were well within the foothills. Maybe. There could be tons of villages scattered all the way up the peaks here since it was warmer than back home and the mountains maybe not as tall? Tchah. They were terrible at things like this. Davs did distances and heights. Though, Essenin thought with a smirk, both of them were good at lengths.The smile died quickly as they thought of their loves. Hardly half a day’s ride away and Essenin missed them already with a persistent ache that wrapped around their heart. They were the best choice for this part of the plan, but, oh, they were poorly suited for it. Some people just aren’t loners. I’m not sure I’ve met a lot of selak who are, come to think of it. Tempting, to stop and talk to the people weeding and watering the sor grain fields and wading in the binaf paddies, but it was too early, too far away still from people who might know useful things. They would ask when they stopped for the night. There. That was a small plan they could concentrate on. Evening had already pulled the colors from the world when Essenin arrived at a town large enough to have an inn and a well-kept, inviting one at that with cheerful lanterns burning in the courtyard. They stopped for the night and stabled their edlak before entering to negotiate with the landlord for a room and some dinner. Essenin went to the taps to order a kelver and scan the room, cozy but heavy on the dark woods, which heightened the shadows in the corners. Dim lighting or not, they were certain they spotted a familiar silhouette at the table in the far corner. Oh, I don’t want to go over there. I could pretend I didn’t see him. It could get messy and unpleasant. But…what were the chances they’d meet anyone else they knew along the way? Someone who was well traveled and knew things. With a sigh, Essenin took his mug over to the table and stopped with a hand on one of the unoccupied chairs. The figure at the table sat hunched over his mug, his seven-stringed sewa on the chair beside him. Firelight and shadow gave his shock of red hair the look of dying embers and he smelled like he hadn’t bathed in some time. “Hello Rolli.” Just how drunk is he? Gray eyes turned toward him, blinking. Then Rolli let his head down on his arms with a thud. “Perfect. Now I’m hallucinating. Go away, hallucinationy Essenin.” That drunk. “I’m not a liquor dream, Rolli. I’m here.” “You could still do me the favor of fucking off and going away.” Rolli lifted his head and squinted at them. “No. Still here.” “I would’ve asked how you are,” Essenin pulled out the chair across the table and sat. Any thoughts of asking Rolli about the sylvas would have to wait until he wasn’t stinking drunk. “But I can see the answer. Are you drinking your last coin there? Do you have a place for the night?” “Nnngh.” Essenin sighed between sips of kelver and thanked the young woman who brought dinner, a mixed root pie with a perfect, flaky crust. After a day of riding, the smell was heavenly. They let Rolli wallow on the table in peace while they finished dinner. They’d met Rolli on a job with Davitts, at the Brightwarre, come to think of it. He made his coin as a traveling musician, a rather good one, and he’d stopped there for a few days. Convenient since Essenin and Davs were waiting for a client to finish business. Rolli had been interested. Essenin had returned the interest. Davs had wished them well and waved them off. It had been two days of glorious sex and when it was done, and they had to leave, Rolli found it difficult to say goodbye. Difficult was perhaps an understatement. He’d begged Essenin to leave Davs, as if they ever would. He’d gotten on his knees, and in the end, Essenin had needed to tell him no rather more sharply than they’d liked. Davs wasn’t attracted, so it couldn’t be long term, and they had obligations. They thought they’d explained everything well enough from the start. Apparently, Rolli hadn’t paid attention. It’s a bad idea. You should just go up to bed. Pretend you never saw him. But they wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing they’d just walked away from someone so obviously down on his luck. Essenin took their own pack and Rolli’s sewa up first, then came back and heaved Rolli out of his chair. They took a walk to the facilities behind the stables, where Rolli still had enough sense to piss without help, then up the steps where Essenin gave him a pillow and blanket and let him pass out on the floor. He’d be safe from any rowdies looking to roll a drunk and more comfortable than he would have been when the landlord kicked him into the street at closing. I hope I haven’t made a huge mess with this. And he’ll be less hostile in the morning. Though hungover. Not the best time to start a conversation. Goddesses help me. Essenin used their own pack as a pillow and settled in as best they could. Tomorrow promised to be a long, strange day. “No.” Zie said the word softly, but it resonated to the marrow of his bones. I just have you both back. We’re together now. Don’t do this.
Ess frowned and put their bowl of porridge down. “You’re not being sensible, sweetling. What other way is there?” I know I’m not being sensible. I don’t want to be sensible right now. If you leave, I don’t know if you’re safe. I want you both with me. And I want you both to go. Zie couldn’t bear to say any of that and drew his hat farther down over his face as if he could hide, adding childish to the list of his faults. “Let’s look at this piece by piece.” Davitts reached over to take his hand and didn’t let go when Zie hissed at him. “We have to assume the shadows will find a way off the island.” “Yes.” Still hissing. Stop it. Davitts gave their joined hands a little shake. “When they do, they’ll search for you, and if you go to the sylvas compounds, you’ll put them in danger.” “Of course I can’t go there. Not now.” Zie managed to pry his hand away. “I have to think of something else.” Ess rolled their eyes. “Like what? Feeding yourself to the Shadows? Your first plan was the best one. Find help from people who understand sylvas disciplines.” I had thought of that. It might have worked before, simply letting them have me. But now, in a new land with more sylvas for them to destroy? No. I can’t just… And I’m too afraid to do it, in any case. “You should both go. Together.” “Mother of storms,” Ess muttered and threw their hands up in a helpless gesture. In the face of recalcitrance, Davitts only grew more patient. He pushed his last steamed bun toward Zie, knowing he couldn’t resist, and leaned in to speak softly. “That’s not up for negotiation, I’m afraid. We won’t leave you to face this alone, not if we can help it.” “I managed alone well enough.” “Up to a point. Though you could’ve drowned the night your wave walking failed you,” Davitts took the bun off the plate, put it in Zie’s hand, and waited until he started nibbling on it. “Sylvas are much more likely to talk to a selak they don’t know than a human. Ess gets the job of finding them and telling them what’s happened. And you need someone at your back. I’m really good at that.” “I should never have involved you,” Zie whispered, wondering if he could crawl up into his hat. Ess gave him a cheerful cuff on the shoulder. “Too late now. We’re involved so far in, you’ll never get us out.” “That sounded…wrong somehow.” Davs rubbed the bridge of his nose with a weary sigh. “You…” Zie tried one more, desperate tactic. “You don’t know where the sylvas are on this continent.” “Oh?” Ess raised a dark eyebrow at him. “So you know, suddenly?” “They’re…” I don’t know where, but I know where they would most likely be. I’m the sylvas here. But did he know where the mountain compounds were? “No.” “It’ll be all right,” Davs broke in before they started truly arguing. “Ess is good at finding things out. They’ll head for the mountains and when they’re close enough, start asking people. Everyone wants to talk to Ess.” “And we just wander about?” Zie waved his spoon in exasperation. “No. We head in the opposite direction.” Davs sipped his juice, looking smug. “I know a place.” “And how will Ess ever find us again?” Ess waggled their eyebrows. “I also know this place.” I could just drown myself in the porridge. “Wonderful. You two have everything solved and I’d lost the argument before I could say a word. When did you even talk about all of this?” Davs had the grace to look chagrined. “You were sleeping really hard this morning.” And there it is. I’ve dropped my guard so completely, just because I’ve had pleasant company. I’m going to get us all killed at some point. Even as he thought it, he knew he was lying to himself again. Pleasant company didn’t begin to cover it. Trust was only the half of it. He knew how he felt. No need to pretend. “Zie?” Ess stroked his arm, concern all over their face. “I’m fine. It’s fine. We’ll try this…this whatever it is you two have concocted.” Though I reserve the right to go facedown in porridge and drown myself in the future. Having won their point, Ess did a little dance in their chair and returned to their breakfast. Zie did his best to maintain a displeased glower, but it was difficult to remain angry with Ess. By the time they’d finished breakfast and had packed up to leave, all his annoyance had transformed to sorrow. He trudged into the courtyard behind Davs’ broad back, automatically relinquishing his pack when Davs reached for it. The reason didn’t occur to him until Ess cleared their throat. “Where did you get enough money to hire mounts? Were you doing some work on the side before we got here?” Davs snorted and stopped fastening a pack to one of the three edlaks’ harnesses. “Captain Unav paid us before I left the ship.” “Uh-huh. And when were you planning on giving everyone their share?” Ess tapped a foot, hands on their hips. “Here, Zie. She gave you a little extra beyond passage. For all your hard work.” Davs handed a bag of coins over for Zie before securing the next pack. “Davs!” Ess spat out. “You’re terrible with money.” “You want me to starve.” Ess spread their hands and looked toward Zie in entreaty. “Do you hear this? He wants me to starve. Or have to beg for a place in an animal shed if it storms.” Davs’ laugh was warm and, to Zie’s ears, tinged with sadness. Maybe they teased each other so they wouldn’t cry at partings. Sensible. He pulled a larger purse out and tossed it to Ess. “There. Your share. Try to be a responsible grownup person with it.” Ess pocketed it with a sigh. “I’ll miss you. Even your too seriousness.” “Don’t start.” Davs pulled him into a bone-creaking hug. “It won’t be long. Right?” Unable to stand it a moment longer, Zie slammed into their embrace, trying to hug as much as he could. “Be safe. Be smart and swift.” He wiped at his eyes. “Don’t you dare come back not all right.” “I’m a little concerned that I understood that.” Ess let go of Davs to hold Zie properly and tip his face up for a kiss. “I’ll be fine. You two watch out for each other. I don’t know when I’ll get back to you, but I will. Promise.” Davitts pulled him back gently and kept a hand on his shoulder while Ess mounted the taller, red edlak. They rode away, turning once to offer a smile and a wave before a bend in the road obscured them from sight. A shiver ran down Zie’s back and he hoped that wasn’t a rare spot of prescience. Ess would be all right. They had to be. Davitts struggled not to laugh at how quickly his companions finished dinner once they’d decided on a common cause. A small part of him struggled with nerves, too, since it also sounded like a campaign of sorts. Too much focused attention made him nervous. Embarrassed. As long as the two of them didn’t talk about him too much. Talk around him. Still, he handed the key to Ess and shooed them both upstairs while he stayed by the fire to give them a moment to whisper, conspire, and work each other up.
The Zie before the disaster… Davitts wondered what he’d been like. Probably a mischievous and demanding lover just from the hints he’d seen. That Zie seemed to be gone. Any arrogance that might have been, any confidence, perhaps much of the playfulness, all swept away in grief and horror. I’m beginning to understand some of the horror, at least. He finished his kelver, thanked the young man serving in the common room, and tromped up two flights of stairs. The room he’d acquired wasn’t the biggest, but it had a nice view of the inn’s garden. There was only one bed. He didn’t think anyone would mind. When he opened the door, he had to smile, since everything was exactly as he’d expected. Zie’s coat lay folded carefully over the back of a chair, his boots lined up neatly beside it, his hat on the seat. Essenin’s shirt lay crumpled on the floor, their boots dropped on top, and that was as far as they’d gotten with undressing. The two of them stood at the foot of the bed, tangled around each other, Ess’s face buried in Zie’s hair, Zie’s leg hiked up and wrapped around Ess’s hip. Somehow, it seemed as if there were more than four hands involved. They’re so beautiful together. And they fit together…belong. He belongs with us. The thought was so clear, so sharp, it felt as if an iron spike had been driven through Davitts’ heart. He must’ve made some sound, a whimper maybe, since Ess lifted their head and gave him a smile that lit their face all the way to their lovely burgundy eyes. “Hello, you.” “Hello.” The warmth of that smile restarted Davitts’ heart and he managed to take a step closer. “You, ah… Well.” “Our Davs,” Zie whispered as he unwound from Ess, a languid, deliberately sensual movement. He slid out of Ess’s arms, who watched with hungry amusement, and stalked across the floor to Davitts, a rumbling purr echoing deep in his chest. “We’d like to take care of you.” “Um, yes?” He shouldn’t have been tongue-tied around them still, but the focused attention was unnerving. “Where…where would you like me?” Instead of answering right away, Zie began to undo the buttons of Davitts’ shirt, licking the skin below each button as it came loose. “I would like…” Flick. Lick. “To fuck…” Flick. Lick. “You.” Flick. Lick. “Would you like that?” It was surprisingly difficult to answer with a melted brain. “Nnnrgh. Yes.” “Good.” Zie smoothed the shirt off his shoulders, leaving Davitts to struggle with the cuffs on his own, then momentarily confused Davitts as he turned back to Ess. “Too many clothes.” With a huge grin, Ess shimmied out of their pants, then stood with their hands spread wide and their lovely umber skin shining with perspiration. Someone was excited. “And now?” Zie took them by the hand and urged them onto their back across the width of the bed, which was a good sized bed, but Ess’s long legs still dangled off one side. Humming softly, Zie returned and sank to his knees in front of Davitts to unlace his boots. Could a brain melt more once it had already melted? He felt as if he didn’t have a rational thought left in his head, validated when Zie tapped the back of his knee. “Lift.” Zie tapped again, as one would to ask an edlak to lift a hoof. Heat flooded Davitts face as he complied and he soon found himself efficiently stripped of boots, sock, and pants. He had every intention of asking what Zie wanted, but when he ran his tongue over the underside of Davitts’ erection, all that came out was an embarrassingly needy moan. It didn’t help at all that Zie only purred louder when Davitts tangled his fingers in the thick, black silk of his hair. “What…” “We’re apologizing.” Zie rose with more grace than should have been allowed and took Davitts’ hand to tow him toward the bed. “Aren’t we, Ess?” As Zie tugged him around to the side of the bed where Ess’s head hung down, they arched their back and stretched a hand out to hook Davitts behind the thigh. “Oh, yes. My favorite kind of apology. Such abject, humble apologies.” Zie tapped them on the nose. “Wait, please.” While Ess sighed and pretended to be terribly put out, Zie stripped, folded his clothes meticulously, and retrieved the set of steps from under the bed, the ones meant to assist smaller people up to the mattress. This puzzled Davitts since Zie wasn’t quite that small until he set the steps just behind Davitts. Oh. Prodding and pushing gently, Zie got Davitts to lean over Ess, supported on his elbows so his face was level with Ess’s crotch. Which, dear goddesses…the scent of Ess’s arousal made him fight having to drool. “Wait, please.” Zie reiterated softly as he rummaged in one of the packs and rustled around behind Davitts. Finally, Zie’s foot claws clicked when he climbed onto the step, and Davitts hissed as cool oil drizzled down his crack. “All right. Now you may.” Ess gave a pleased hum as their lips closed around Davitts’ cock and his brain whited out entirely when Zie nudged against his hole. So much, so…oh, so good. He forced himself to concentrate for a crucial moment, bearing down as Zie’s head breached him, and he whimpered against Ess’s thigh. Zie certainly wasn’t huge, but the suddenness made the stretch a challenge. When he could move again, he took Ess in his mouth, pleased warmth flooding him when Ess moaned and bucked up against him. It was a feast of pleasure, being filled and filling. Davitts’ balls felt heavy enough to fall through the floor, pleasure spiraling much faster than he’d thought possible for being so tired. Almost embarrassing, but he wasn’t the only one as Ess writhed desperately beneath his lapping and sucking, and Zie’s breaths had gone short and sharp. With muffled cries vibrating against Davitts’ cock, Ess came first, clamping around Davitts as if they never meant to let go. Zie thrust in time with those cries, hard and deep, and Davitts felt his eyes cross as his orgasm crested and flooded Ess’s mouth. Aftershocks still shuddered through him when Zie came as well, hissing and snarling, his steady rhythm suddenly disintegrated into stuttering thrusts. Zie collapsed atop Davitts’ back and Ess melted into the bed underneath him as they all floated in that moment of just fucked bliss. Davitts turned his head far enough to announce, “Apology accepted.” This started Ess laughing and the moment fragmented enough for them to disentangle and fall into bed together with Zie curled up under his right arm and Ess under his left. This. I just want this. And the peace to enjoy it. Is that asking too much? After all of their hearts had calmed, their breaths quieted, Zie whispered hesitantly, “When you told your aunt I was your meste, did you mean that?” Ess leaned up on one elbow, his smile a little crooked and unsure. “You understood that, did you?” “I asked some of the crew what it meant.” Zie stroked Ess’s forearm with one claw. “Did you mean it?” Davitts held his breath, anxious about where this might be going. Easy enough for it to go either way. “I…” Ess’s forehead furrowed and he took Zie’s hand gently. “It’s not really for me to mean. As far as I’m concerned, and Davs is concerned, yes. But it’s something, really, that you would decide, if you’re considering becoming a…a part of us.” Zie leaned over and planted a kiss on Ess’s lips. “Then I am. Your meste. And not because I have to consider being with you, but because I might not be able to stay with you.” Zie heaved a weary sigh. “I need—” “You need to go to sleep.” Davitts pulled him closer and patted his hip. “Our lovely meste. Go to sleep. Planning’s for the morning.” For one unhappy moment, he thought he’d get an argument, or worse, that Zie would get up and leave the room. But Zie only growled and nipped at his jaw before he snuggled back under the covers and went to sleep. Zie wasn’t heavy, no. But he was still an adult male whose relative lightness became less…light with each passing step. Especially after he, mother of the deeps only knew how, fell asleep riding on Essenin’s back. Astonishingly, neither his thighs gripping Essenin’s waist nor his arms looped around their shoulders eased one bit.
Maybe this is what small sylvas children learn to do. Cling tight even through naps and let the adult carrying them have their hands free. Maybe it’s easier that way when you’re living on the ice for much of the year. Right. I have no sandburned idea. Zie might be the oddest sylvas ever and not at all like any other for all I know. When they turned onto the Old Nersa Road, about an hour from the inn, Zie woke with a sharp gasp and slid off Essenin’s back so quickly they were certain he must’ve fallen. When Essenin turned though, there he was on his feet, hands half up as if readying to call the winds, blinking in confusion. “Ess?” “We’re almost there. To the inn. To Davs.” Essenin stayed still and extended a hand, waiting for Zie to reorient “I slept. While you were walking.” His soft voice was full of wonder, but he took the offered hand. “You were bone tired. Ready to walk a bit? Stiffly at first, Zie walked beside Essenin, much to the relief of their back and legs. The air softened with the sun no longer blazing overhead, a warm breeze carrying the scents of wildflowers Essenin couldn’t name, reminding him of other trips, other years. A tumble off an edlak. Davs there before Essenin could catch his breath. The near-panic in Davs’ honey eyes. That sudden, ferocious kiss when he determined Essenin hadn’t broken his neck. A smile tugged at their lips and they let it. That had been an interesting year. A wonderful year full of bright memories. Zie caught the smile, but didn’t pry. He limped along holding tight to Essenin’s hand until the first farmhouse came in sight, then he only let go long enough to get his hat out of his pack and jam it on his head. Old habits, though Essenin could hardly blame him. Humans in rural places didn’t always react well to someone different. The light was fading to a cloudless twilight when the lanterns at the crossroads were lit and the Brightwarre Inn became visible in the scattered patchwork of its own lamps and lanterns. Crossroads inn, messenger relay, it was larger than the inns they had back home with the three-sided building of the inn proper, five stories on a side, and a separate three-sided stable. They liked threes in this part of the world. They kept a doctor and a farrier on staff if one needed them. Housekeeping and service in the common room were never understaffed. Almost a small village. They picked up their pace and Zie kept up, both of them eager to be there within the rectangles and circles of light, and with every step, the thought echoed in Essenin’s head--please be there, Davs. Please be there. It took a moment once they’d shouldered open the door into the common room for their eyes to adjust to the light, but there he was, gorgeous and anxious at a table near the fire, drink sitting untouched as he drummed his fingers on the table. “Davs.” The word was barely a whisper and Essenin was jogging across the room before they realized they’d abandoned Zie by the door. Apologies would come later. Right then, they could only speed up as Davs spotted him and rose from his seat, relief flooding his face as he opened his arms and caught Essenin as they barrelled into him with a soft oof. Strong arms closed tight around them, making their ribs creak, as Davs sighed into Essenin’s neck. “You idiot. You do that to me again, ever, and I’ll… I don’t know what.” Davs sounded more anguished than angry. That was good. Sort of. Essenin drew back to grin at him and waggle their eyebrows. “You could spank me.” That got him a snort. “Not much of a deterrent if you like it.” A rustle of cloth and a soft distressed sound turned their attention to Zie, standing a few feet away, twisting the strap of his pack with both hands. Davs nudged Essenin to the side far enough to glower. “I’m still angry with you.” Zie hunched into his coat, staring at the floor. “I’m sorry.” “Ech. Don’t look so pitiful.” Davs sighed and stepped around Essenin with his arms held out. “Come here.” The wind must’ve helped since Zie flew into Davs’ arms so fast, shivering and whispering incoherent apologies that were most likely also arguments in his defense. The murmurs of warm sense that Davs was so good at calmed Zie within a few heartbeats and everyone moved to the table where they soon all had excellent kelver and chocka stew. “He saved the ship.” Essenin pointed a spoon at Zie. “You can’t be too angry with him.” Davs grumbled at his bowl, then sighed and sat back. “Yes. Absolutely mad and not something you should’ve done alone, but you did save the ship. And both crews, when it was all done.” “We saw the ship break up.” Essenin put his spoon down to mime scurrying things. “And the shadows flee to dry land. We didn’t stay to watch after. You going to say what happened or make us drag it out of you sentence by sandblasted sentence?” “Not too much to tell. But some important things.” Davs dragged his mug over and sipped, a line of concern between his thick eyebrows. “Captain Unav sent out the launches to retrieve the Sandskipper’s crew. Selak ship. Most of the crew were selak, swimming but exhausted. Underfed. Dehydrated. Dragging their few human crew with them.” He stopped and sipped for a bit, staring at the far wall. Essenin gave him a moment to gather before pushing against his knee. “And? What in the Mother’s name happened on that ship?” “The selak crew didn’t recall much.” Davs sipped again, shaking his head. “Just strange dreams. A feeling of sinking. The humans…they remember it all. The ones that were sane enough to talk about it. They think…they guess the Shadows came aboard in Pellienport. Hid in the holds. They’re shadows, so I guess it wasn’t hard.” “So they didn’t—” Zie cut off and curled in on himself, pulling his feet up onto the seat of the chair. Davs reaches over to put a hand on his knee. “They didn’t slaughter the crew. Maybe ‘cause they needed them? No idea. But the human crew talk about dark tendrils reaching through the decking one night and climbing up each and every selak crewmember until the darkness sank inside them. And then the selak turned into hissing, lurching monsters. They overpowered the few humans, threw them into the bilges, and locked them in. A couple deaths during the fighting, no more.” “And then?” Essenin leaned forward, riveted. “And that’s all any of them know until the ship ran onto the rocks. The selak don’t remember. The humans were shut away.” “They don’t like humans,” Zie whispered. Shook his head. “No. That’s not right. Humans don’t seem to matter? They can’t sense humans in some way? It doesn’t make sense. Not—” “You knew about this before,” Essenin interrupted. “You told us.” “I did. It still doesn’t make sense.” “Enough for now.” Davs pushed the stew toward Zie. “We’re all here. I don’t see any blood or missing limbs. We’re all right for now. Eat. Then up to bed.” Essenin couldn’t help a little grin. “You got us a room already? So efficient.” Davs grunted into his kelver which just made them smile wider and elbow Zie. “I think our Davs is still a little aggravated with us. I think we probably owe him more than apologies.” Startled out of his thoughts, Zie twitched, but followed it with a solemn nod, some of the despair fading from his eyes. “Oh. Yes. We certainly do.” Serials have been with us a long time, as storytellers and listener/readers. The device of keeping the audience returning because they want to know what happens next was probably invented by the first epic poet. While some epic poems, like Beowulf, can be recited in a mere three hours - an audience would stay for this if the scop was a good one - something like the Odyssey takes about twenty-six hours, something much more likely told over several sessions.
(Did Homeric age poets indulge in cliffhangers? No idea. Fun image, though.) So by the time modern, written serials came about in the late 19th century, it certainly wasn't a new idea, just a commercially clever one - getting the readers to come back and buy the paper/magazine every week to see what happens next. Our serial fiction now can be broadly categorized as any story that doesn't conclude in one episode/book/installment, from daytime television dramas, to long-form stories in a TV series like The Expanse, to multi-novel fantasy epics, to bi-weekly updated webtoons, to classic serial fiction. It's all serialized - a story broken up into individual pieces that requires the reader/viewer/listener to come back for the next installment to see what happens next. Shadow Run is that last example - an old style work of serialized fiction where you get a short chapter every week. And, incidentally, I get a chapter every week since I'm writing as we go. I have chapters planned in advance, but unless I'm going to be away, I've yet to have more than two written out at any one time. Shh, don't tell anyone. There were choices to make before I could start writing - how long would the episodes be, when would they update, who would get the POV, what was the broad shape of the story - but I haven't dithered or outlined or over-planned. Here are three characters who get alternating episodes, here's the idea and wheeee! Off we go. Every Monday, a new episode posts on the blog, and so far I've been able to alternate the episode POV's between Zie, Essenin and Davitts. We may be coming to a point where that has to change, but we'll see. Each episode is approximately a thousand words long - sometimes they go a little longer when they have to, but the idea is that you can snap up each episode quickly on a Monday and get back to your day. Episode 1 is linked on the Home Page, and all of the episodes are listed out on the dedicated Shadow Run page, which also contains a running glossary as I make up words. Because you knew I would. If you're joining us later, you'll also find the link to the next episode at the bottom of each installment. I've tried to make this as convenient as possible, :D and do hope you've all been enjoying this foray into serial fiction, cliffhangers and all. The effort of climbing the cliff, even with carefully placed wind gusts to help shove him up the trickier parts, was almost too much for Zie. He clawed his way over the edge and collapsed at the top, gasping for breath. The more magic one used, the more one could use, but just as even the best runner had limits, so did an experienced mahk. The half day of wind work and the extended run across the waves had taken their toll.
At least I didn’t fall in this time. I managed not to look back, not to think too hard. Small victories. When he had the breath to roll onto one elbow to see what had happened behind him, he caught sight of one thing that filled his heart with satisfaction and another that turned the smug gratification to sudden horror. The Shadows had followed him and run their stolen vessel onto the rocks as Zie knew they would. They might have grown intellectually, but they lacked experience with waterways. While he had to assume that was why they stole both ship and sailors to begin with, keeping the sailors under thrall hadn’t helped them gain from the collective experience under their control. Zie couldn’t help a ferocious smile at their scramble to desert the sinking ship for dry land. That smile died hard and fast when he caught sight of what else was in the water. “Oh, Ess. No. No.” But Ess couldn’t hear him, arrowing through the water like a spear fish, directly for the spot Zie had left the water. Of course they’d followed. Of course. Since the last time Ess had seen Zie wave-walking, he’d lost his concentration and nearly drowned. Zie’s throat tightened on tears. They were supposed to be safe now. He’d led the Shadows away and the two of them were supposed to be safe. Ess reached the base of the cliff and began to climb, and Zie nearly panicked, his whiteout flight response screaming run! But Ess… Ess was one of the most persistent people he’d ever met. They would follow and simply put themself in more danger. He couldn’t just run away. Not, oh mother of storms, not now. Not from this. “It’s fine,” Zie whispered as he lay on his belly and tried to ignore the tears dripping down the cliff face. “Everything… It will be fine.” Despite his exhaustion, he called the wind to him once more and lifted Ess up the cliff bit by bit so they wouldn’t need to tire themself climbing. One of them should be able to walk without stumbling and if the Shadows did catch up? Better that Ess would be able to run while Zie held them back. Not cracking likely. You see how well that works. By the time he was able to grasp Ess’s wrist and help him up the last bit, he’d nearly regained his control though he still swiped a few stray tears from his face. Then he met the anger in those lovely dark eyes and nearly lost his composure again. “Ess…” “Don’t start with me.” Ess gave him a shake before pulling him into a hard embrace. “And don’t you dare do that again. No more of this I alone can keep everyone safe nonsense, do you hear me?” “I had to,” Zie’s whisper barely made it past the stone lodged in his throat. “The ship. Everyone aboard.” Ess twisted their head to watch the sinking Shadow ship and huffed. “Fine, yes. Leading them away was best. But after we’ve made a quick plan. Together. Not you rushing off on your ridiculous own.” “But—” Zie did his best to squirm away, but Ess held tight. “Listen, really listen. Let’s say we let you get away with it. Let you play martyr and run away from us. How much longer do you think you can keep running? And what happens when you can’t anymore? Once the Shadows destroy you, do you think they’ll just piff, vanish like good little monsters?” Yes. They would. They should… Though he had no proof of that. The brief and incomplete references he’d found made no mention of how the summoning had ended. “I don’t know. I have suspicions, but I can’t be sure.” “That’s what I thought.” Ess stood pulling Zie up with them. “I know you thought you’d have time once we landed. Time to consult with elder sylvas. Time to find answers. Things didn’t turn out as you planned, so it’s time to plan again.” Zie shoved back a step. “I’m not certain you should criticize my planning. You left Davs behind.” The tips of Ess’s ears darkened. “I did not leave… Ah. I think you could be making an attempt at humor. Not a terrible effort. Davs and I agreed on a meeting place, which is where we should be headed.” They spared a glance toward the island where the Shadows had massed to escape the water. “Now that your friends have marooned themselves.” “If those are friends, goddess protect me from someone who hates me.” “More jokes? What have you done with my Zie?” Ess took his hand and led the way along the ridge until they found a path down, not much more than an animal track, but better than trying to climb down the sheer landward side of the cliff where he’d come up. Zie clung to Ess’s arm with both hands by the time they’d made it down, sweat trickling through his hair and making his ears twitch. “Is it far? This meeting place?” “Just a few hours or so outside the port. We’ll skirt the city and be there before dark.” Ess stopped, furrows creasing their forehead. “You’re shaking.” “I’m not.” “You’re so tired, you can’t even tell. Water magic really knocks it out of you.” Ess crouched down and offered their back. Zie hesitated, though now he felt the tremors running up his legs and back. “I can’t use you as an edlak.” “Up. Come on. You don’t weigh much. The sooner you just do what I tell you, the sooner we get to see Davs.” “Bossy.” “Well established.” Ess clicked their tongue as they would at a dozing gossta, and though Zie felt ridiculous, he climbed onto Ess’s back, holding tight as Ess rose again, shifting and shrugging until they had Zie where they wanted him. Treading carefully at first down the seagrass lined path, Ess picked up the pace when they hit a better-used cart track, then a proper road. He laid his head on Ess’s shoulder and tried to banish thoughts of Shadows with inn and Davs and dry land, and as Ess began to whistle a bouncy shanty, he thought maybe he succeeded. Just a little. There had been no sighting of the ghost ship, or the Shadow Ship as Essenin thought of it. Maybe the stories had been just stories, though they didn’t dare hope for that. They leaned on the rail, watching Zie assist the winds while the helm tacked toward the harbor. The crow’s nest had called down about sighting land an hour before—the Cape of Haroes with its step-terraced, bright green lighthouse.
The lighthouse mirrored the land around the harbor that rose gently up from the docks and warehouses in steps, through the town and on into the terraced fields of marsh grain that decorated the hills in patchwork squares of varied greens and blues. As harbors went, Haroes was definitely one of Essenin’s favorites. Zie’s comfort level with the sails had grown swiftly every time the captain needed him. A quick mind, a faultless memory, and a powerful affinity for wind certainly helped, though something in the grimly determined way Zie approached each new task made Essenin wonder if he’d spent his entire life trying to prove himself. To his parents, to clan elders, to his lost sibling--who he’d tried to impress was harder to deduce, but it seemed an ingrained habit. Other ships’ sails came into view as they approached land, arriving, departing, with ships small enough to enter the harbor proper waiting for pilots to guide them to the docks. It was a relief to see so many others, helping to banish the constant, nagging dread. Essenin tipped their head back, letting the sun warm their face… And the wind died. They jerked upright in alarm, heading toward Zie instinctively. The sylvas had frozen, hands still extended for wind work though he had let his magic drop. Only his head had turned, away from the sails as he squinted toward the far horizon. “Zie? Are you…well?” With a gasp that sounded as if he were surfacing from a long dive, Zie turned to them, growing paler by the moment. “Tell the captain they’re coming,” he whispered. “I don’t see them yet, but I feel it. They’re coming.” “Where?” Essenin didn’t have to ask who or what. That was all too obvious. They tried to reach for Zie, but he whirled and hurried toward the cabins. Essenin would’ve followed, but the captain was already stalking toward him, her eyebrows raised in inquiry. “What’s happened? Why has he deserted his post?” The denial was on their tongue, but they swallowed it. If Zie was right, the ship and possibly the harbor were in peril. “He says they’re coming, Captain. The ghost ship.” “Ridiculous,” she muttered, though she drew her spyglass from her coat and peered through it in the direction Essenin had pointed. She scanned slowly, and tensed. “Ma’am?” “There’s a ship coming in fast. Her sails are in ribbons. She shouldn’t be making any sort of speed, and yet…” Captain Unav snapped her spyglass shut and rounded on Essenin. “No long stories now and no prevarications, sea child. Is that ship coming for us?” “It’s…” Essenin’s jaw worked for a moment, the shock that she somehow knew what Zie had been hiding stole his words. “Yes, ma’am. It might very well be.” “Then I need my wind mage on these sails,” she snapped. “Go and drag him out here if you have to!” Essenin turned to race for their cabin only to be nearly swung off his feet by a strong hand closing around his arm. “What’s going on?” The worry lines on Davs’ forehead said more than the soft question. “The ship’s coming,” Essenin leaned in close to whisper. “Shadow ship. I have to—” But they never finished that sentence either as Zie reappeared on deck with his long blue coat billowing in the breeze and his backpack on. He jogged toward them, his face a perfect, blank mask as if he’d turned into a ceramic doll. “Zie, don’t you dare,” Davs growled before Essenin could intervene. “I think you both know how I feel about you.” Zie carefully avoided meeting either of their eyes as he stood on tiptoe and offered a quick, fierce kiss to Davs and a softer one to Essenin. “Stay. Zie, please.” Essenin stroked his face, putting every grain of tenderness in the gesture he could muster. “You’re better off with us than without us. You must know that by now.” Instead of answering, Zie ducked under their arm, danced back a few steps, and leaped up on the ship’s rail. “I can’t watch you die.” “Grab him!” Davs bellowed as he lunged. Essenin managed just to snag the edge of Zie’s sleeve, torn from their grasp when Zie jumped from the rail, plummeting toward the waves. He didn’t hit the water, though, landing on a wave top and sprinting off across the water. “Mother’s fucking tits!” Davs stomped in frustration, his angry expression laced with concern as the Shadow Ship, now visible without the help of a spyglass, turned to follow Zie’s path as he headed not for the harbor but for the cliffs farther along the shore. They both twitched when Captain Unav spoke from behind them, “After him specifically, then. Knew he was running from something, but ghosts? Poor bastard.” “Worse than ghosts, Captain. Living shadows,” Essenin said as they edged toward the rail. “He’s saving the ship by leading them away. Davs, do you remember the Brightwarre Inn outside of Nersa?” “What? Yes…but, what are you talking about?” “I love you.” Essenin vaulted the rail before Davs could catch on, calling out as he dove, “Meet us there!” Davs’ bellowed cursing chased him down to the water, cut off as Essenin hit the waves. They kicked up and into a sprinting stroke, the fastest they could manage. They didn’t have any illusions about catching Zie while he ran over the wavetops, but they would either reach him at the cliffs or they’d be there if Zie stumbled and fell into the sea again. So far, Zie had been running with only the slightest hint of a plan. When Essenin caught up to him, after a Very Stern Talking To, that was going to change. Davitts frowned at the bunk where Essenin had gathered Zie’s feet into his lap. He wanted to be sympathetic. He wanted to be kind. But his imagination had been left to its own devices and there were too many things gathering there.
Essenin gave him big, sad eyes as Zie began to stir. “Davs…” “No. It’s high time he explained some things. It’s our necks on the line, too.” Zie’s lovely purple eyes fluttered open and his instinct for reading the room apparently hadn’t deserted him as he drew his knees up under his chin and pressed back into the corner. Though as Davitts watched, he was certain the fear radiating off Zie had little to do with him and Ess, who cocked his head to one side and waited. After a few uneven breaths, Zie finally spat out, “It should have been safe. The ocean should’ve been gods-cursed safe!” “What does that mean?” Davitts leaned against the cabin door, arms crossed over his chest. He had more than a guess, but Zie would have to say it. “The shadows,” Zie said to his knees. “Somehow...it doesn’t bear thinking…” “Somehow what?” “They shouldn’t be thinking creatures. They shouldn’t. But they’ve worked out how to take a ship. They’ve killed everyone aboard and somehow managed to sail it or they’ve...taken the people on board and are using them.” “Taken how?” Essenin asked gently. “I don’t know!” Zie cut off on a strangled shout, pulling into a tighter ball. “I don’t know. Possession? Controlling them like puppets? I don’t know. This has never happened. It should never—” Davitts kept the rest of his suspicions to himself. The details would come out eventually and weren’t important now. “You think they’ve changed their hunting tactics? They’re after other prey?” “No.” Still shaking, Zie uncurled far enough to look at him. “No, I don’t think so. This ghost ship hasn’t attacked anyone. If they wanted other prey, it sounds as if they could have had it. No, they’re still coming for me.” Essenin shot over a speaking glance and they all shifted in uncomfortable silence for several fraught moments. Finally, Ess asked the question Davitts had been thinking. “Zie, where did the shadows come from?” “They were summoned.” “So you said.” Ess persisted, poking at Zie’s knee. “But who would summon such things? Why?” “Long ago—” “We’re talking about now, though,” Davitts interrupted. “Yes.” Zie let go of a shuddering sigh. “But southerners know nothing about us. Not the slightest thing. It’s easier to start farther back.” A tiny bit of acerbity crept into his words. “May I?” Davitts waved a hand for him to continue. “The clans were small family groups long ago, We lived semi-nomadic lives and survived partly by raiding. Food, pelts, edlak, and mates. New bloodlines from raids were essential to prevent the diseases and infirmities of interbreeding. We began to settle at some point. In stone enclaves, jealously guarded. The meeting of the zerl every year codifies the laws. But raiding was still in our blood.” “Lawful raiding?” Zie gave a half-hearted shrug. “To some extent. Some clans took to raiding outsiders’ river boats. This the zerl refuses to consider. Clan raids were still permitted in a ritual sense between enclaves, again, a question of bloodlines, but those are carefully negotiated beforehand. But in certain cases of wrongdoing, blood raids are still within the law, as well.” Essenin’s dark eyebrows had slowly crept toward the ceiling, and Davitts wondered whether this was due to Zie’s explanation or his inability to choose between speaking in the past or present. “Sometimes the blood raids became retaliatory.” Zie went on in a broken whisper. “Sometimes the mahk of this clan or that resorted to weapons beyond knife and claw. The shadows that devoured the clans and still hunt me are...they are one of those weapons.” Davitts sat hard on the opposite bunk as the consequences of those words sank in. Someone had summoned those monstrous shadows to use in a clan feud, someone who obviously didn’t understand what they had summoned or how to control them. Someone who hadn’t known how to un-summon them when the cursed things turned on every sylvas in reach. “Zie…” “There has to be a way.” Zie’s whisper had turned fierce. “There is no magic that can’t be undone. I just need...time. Peace. I needed them to leave me alone for a while.” “You need help.” Ess gave him a quick hug. “Doing this alone hasn’t been working, so finding older mahk to advise you is the best idea.” Zie shrugged him off, the misery clear on his face. “But now they’ve followed me and I might endanger another entire sylvas network of clan enclaves.” “You don’t know that,” Davitts said, more sharply than he’d intended. “We have no idea if those ghost stories are even true.” “There are enough tellings that the stories spring from somewhere.” Zie’s ears flattened against his head in obvious misery. “Enough eye witnesses who carry actual fear away with them, not storytelling fear. They’ve hunted me long enough. I know when I hear stories of them. But now…now they have learned. Changed. Taken away my last hope of refuge. Don’t believe me if you like. All of my instincts scream that they’ve followed me onto the waves.” “It’s a terrible thing to suspect.” Ess gathered him close and this time Zie leaned into the embrace. “I can’t imagine living with this fear as long as you have.” Zie sighed and let himself be soothed for a moment before he shoved away again. “When we reach shore, I’ll run. You both need to stay with the ship and sail back home as soon as possible.” “Absolutely not.” Ess’s mouth had set in a stubborn line. “You must! Please. Promise me you will.” Tears welled in Zie’s eyes. “I can’t… I can’t watch them kill you both.” Davitts joined them on the bed, one hand on Ess’s thigh, the other hand taking Zie’s gently. “We just won’t die, then. We’re not abandoning you when we land. You can beg and plead all you like, but you need us with you.” “I… Davs…” Zie flung himself against Davitts’ chest and burst into tears. At least he wasn’t arguing anymore. “Auntie Aila!” Essenin launched themself into their auntie’s arms. “How are the ishai? And the offspring?”
It was the minimal polite greeting, but family was different especially when one hadn’t seen an auntie in so long. Unlike Essenin’s mother, who only had two spouses, Auntie Aila’s ishai had grown to four, with an additional meste, a fifth who was still deciding. His mother’s second sister’s first spouse’s sister, Aila was close family and a welcome sight. “There’s our beautiful one!” She hugged them hard before stepping back to give them a once over. “You look well and strong. The ishai are well and your cousins…” She flicked her fingers at the sea. “All grown and scattered to the waves. We’re lucky they remember they have a parent group sometimes.” “It’s a surprise to see you here. I thought you were working as a harbor pilot in Cissa?” Auntie Aila raised and lowered her fin-edged ears in a selak shrug. “I was, but this is more fun. And more lucrative. Just a voyage or two to get the wandering itch out of my bones again. And have you left your Davitts behind?” “Never!” Essenin laughed and waved back at the ship. “My brave love’s in this mess somewhere.” “Ess. Tssa, for shame. Isn’t he your ishai yet?” “We. ah, haven’t gotten quite that far.” Essenin grabbed her hand, careful of the webbing, to distract her from her scolding and dragged her through the crowd until he spotted Davs. “There he is. With our new meste, Zie.” Essenin nearly stopped in shock when the words tumbled out of their mouth. Zie was just a bed partner, wasn’t he? One who would leave them eventually? Meste, one who was deciding on a permanent relationship, seemed awfully optimistic. But he is deciding, to some extent, anyway. I call it close enough. Davs stayed, didn’t he? Entirely different, of course. They’d known each other since they were teenagers, had fought together, visited each other’s mothers. They’d been friends for years before they’d decided they had additional feelings for each other. But different circumstances created different sorts of bedfellows, so to speak. Davs had spotted them and painted on a nervous smile. “Ah, hello.” While it would’ve been fun to let Davs stew for a bit, trying to figure out which relative stood in front of him, Essenin took pity. “Auntie Aila, you remember my Davitts. And this is Zie.” She raised an eyebrow at Essenin, but played along. “Of course, I do. We met at your mother’s once.” Both ear fins flicked as she turned to Zie, though. Her tone was gentle and careful as she asked, “Hello, young sylvas. Are you from the Cau Senis mountains?” “I…” Something in Zie’s rigid stance suggested to Essenin that he was about to lie. Then his shoulders drooped. “No, ma’am.” That eyebrow pointed Essenin’s way again, clearly asking, what have you gotten yourself into? “I see. You’ve found safe harbor with these two, at least. So, what news from Pellienport?” Essenin dutifully relayed all the news of relationships, births and major family arguments, while Davs supplied a bit of gossip from the town merchants and the guilds. Auntie Aila reciprocated with stories from her branch of the family, from the ships going in and out of Cissa, and bits of gossip from the pirate ship’s voyage. “The last bit is something I’ve wondered if it’s right to tell you…” “Auntie.” Essenin let out an exaggerated sigh. “You can’t start with that and not tell us.” “Fair.” She nodded, obviously coming to a decision. “There are evil rumors, and that’s why I hesitate. They are, as far as we have seen, only rumors.” “But?” Davs prompted, rolling a hand for her to go on. “But there are rumors of a haunted ship. No one is certain if it set out from Cissa or Pellienport. They say the sails are askew and that sailors walk the decks as if they were long dead. Others say the crew is dead, strewn about in pieces and the ship sails itself.” “Surely those are just ghost stories, Auntie,” Essenin frowned up at her. “Sailors always tell those.” “There’s something different about this, nibling. Those who’ve seen the ship have a hollow look to them when they speak of it. For them it’s not a story. The fear is real.” She shook her head. “I don’t know the truth of it, but I am sure there’s something evil out on the waves these days. I’m saying to be careful, Ess.” “I hear you, Auntie. Has anyone been attacked by this strange ship? Threatened by it?” “None of the stories mention an attack or any ills done other than terrorizing the crews. But they talk of strangely hissed words. Of something evil calling to them. Some have even heard their names called on the wind.” A heavy thud came from Essenin’s right. Zie had fainted. |
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About Angel
Angel writes (mostly) Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around queer heroes. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head, she has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate. |
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