Mark Sehestedt: The fall of Highwatch

"What is this place?" said Hweilan.

"The Ujaiyen used to camp here when they hunted this region."

"Used to?"

"They don't come here anymore." "Why?"

Menduarthis looked to Lendri. "Yes, why would that be?"

Lendri scowled, then looked to Hweilan. "Inside. Then I'll tell you everything."

It was a simple shelter. A cave with a dirt floor. Its low ceiling was stained black by old fires, and a fissure where one wall met the ceiling let out most of the smoke. A small basin, dusty dry, hugged the back wall, but when Menduarthis chanted and waved one hand over it, it filled with clear, cold water. There was even an old cache of supplies-firewood, kindling, blankets, and food that had long spoiled or been eaten by mice. No clothes for Lendri, but he covered himself in one of the blankets while he set about fashioning a sort of loincloth and sleeveless shirt.

After they had slaked their thirst and got a small fire going, Hweilan looked to Menduarthis. "Are you certain we're safe here?"

Menduarthis snorted. "We're a damned long sight from safe. But with the mound gone, the Ujaiyen will have to come at us from another. That will take them most of a day at least. Still… I don't think they'll come here. We're very close to a part of these mountains where I doubt even Kunin Gatar would come." He looked to Lendri, who stared in the fire. Lendri would not meet Hweilan's gaze.

"Lendri," she said, "who is Nendawen?"

He flinched and looked up. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Menduarthis said I called it out in my sleep. But… but I don't remember."

Lendri's eyes widened at that, and he mumbled something in his own tongue.

"Time to bare your soul, cub," said Menduarthis. "What's your game?"

Lendri swallowed hard and looked at Hweilan with haunted eyes. "I didn't know it was you," he said. "I swear it. I didn't know. I never imagined it was you."

His words, the desperation in his eyes… it seemed to stir a deep pool in Hweilan's mind. She remembered parts of her dream that night she'd slept in the frozen branches of the fallen tree.

The howl of wolves…

Time to grow up, Hweilan inle Merah. Time to hunt. You do not need understanding. You need to choose. Understanding will come later… if you survive.

And the image of the antlered man that haunted the shadows at the edge of her vision.

Then Lendri began his tale.

"Our people were not born to this world, but in a place we name the Hunting Lands. Long ago, a fell being of great strength made war on the gods of our people and the primal spirits who served them. Jagun Ghen we named him. Burning Hunger. The Destroyer. For generations we fought him, but he grew stronger, destroying our homeland. We fled in exile to this world, where we have lived for many long years. But some twenty years ago, the great god Dedunan-"

"Who?" said Hweilan.

But it was Menduarthis who answered her. "Silvanus."

Lendri and Hweilan both looked at him in surprise.

He shrugged. "I know things."

Lendri scowled. "Yes. Silvanus. He intervened on our behalf, and for once the winds turned in our favor. Jagun Ghen was cast from the Hunting Lands, and after generations in exile, the Vil Adanrath returned home. Except for me."

"Because of your oaths to my forefather," said Hweilan. "Because of me."

"In part," said Lendri. "After my people left, I wandered for a while. I even visited Highwatch once, but Merah had no interest in renewing her ties to her heritage. I left, lost in my heart." He looked up at Menduarthis. "It was at this time I came to live in the realm of your queen."

Menduarthis snorted. "Hardly my queen anymore."

"I escaped," said Lendri.

"After betraying them and murdering their king," said Menduarthis. He looked to Hweilan. "He's leaving out quite a lot."

"And so are you," said Lendri. "I-"

"Enough!" said Hweilan. "Menduarthis, be quiet. Lendri, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"After I escaped Kunin Gatar," said Lendri, "I fled, but the Ujaiyen pursued me. I fled to the one place I knew the Ujaiyen would not dare go. To a region of these mountains sacred to Nendawen. We are close to them now."

Menduarthis shuddered and looked at the exit of the cave. "Very close."

"Truth be told," said Lendri, "I went there with little real hope. Nendawen is sacred to the Vil Adanrath. Not one of the great gods like Dedunan, but Nendawen serves him in his own way, as we serve our gods. Nendawen is a hunter. The Hunter. But to come to him without sacrifice, without blood… it is death. Nendawen loves our people in his own way, but he is not a kind master. Not forgiving. I'd hoped he might take the Ujaiyen on my trail as sacrifice, but if not… well, I thought it better to die at the hands of one of my own than his ilk." He looked at Menduarthis.

"This ilk just saved your life, I'll remind you," said Menduarthis.

"He killed them?" said Hweilan. "Nendawen killed the Ujaiyen?"

"Oh, yes," said Lendri. "But he did not count it as sacrifice. He…" His brows creased as he searched for the word. "Put off payment, you might say."

"You mean her?" said Menduarthis. He raised one fist and glared at Lendri, and Hweilan knew he was considering which spell to use on the elf. "You're delivering Hweilan to this monster as some sort of blood sacrifice? That… that's-"

"No!" said Lendri. His lips pulled back in a snarl, and in the firelight Hweilan thought his teeth seemed sharper. "I would never do such a thing." His countenance softened and he looked to Hweilan. "I would die first. I swear it."

She believed him, but something in his gaze sent a shiver of fear through her.

"It's… more complicated," said Lendri. "Nendawen told me that Jagun Ghen-the Destroyer who made a wasteland of our home-had not been killed. Only vanquished. He fled the Hunting Lands. Fled here, to this world. Though his power was much reduced, it will grow again. He will bring his brothers and servants-fell spirits like him-to this world to kill and destroy. His hunger is never satisfied. He does not care to conquer. Only consume."

Lendri looked into the fire, and Hweilan saw its warm light glistening in his eyes. They were filling with tears.

"I thought he meant me," said Lendri. "I swear it. Nendawen said that Jagun Ghen must be stopped. But this world… it is not ours, nor our gods. Even Nendawen, his power is very limited here. Only on certain nights may he roam. Other times, he is confined to his holy places. To stop Jagun Ghen, the Hunter requires someone to go in his stead. The Hunter needs a Hand."

Both men were staring at Hweilan, Lendri with tears in his eyes and Menduarthis with his mouth hanging open.

"You mean me?" she asked.

"I did not know," said Lendri. "Nendawen would not tell me who. He told me only that his chosen would hold 'death in her right hand.'"

Hweilan's mind reeled. She looked down at her hand.

"Wait," said Menduarthis. "Death in her right hand? You mean…?"

Lendri nodded. "Show him," said Lendri.

Hweilan pulled off her glove, spread her palm, and turned it so that the firelight caught it full force.

"I've seen it already," said Menduarthis.

"Death," said Lendri. "Hweilan holds 'death' in her right hand."

Hweilan stood.

"Where are you going?" said Menduarthis.

"I need to be alone."

"It isn't safe out there."

"The sun will be up soon," said Lendri. "She'll be fine." He looked at her. "Don't stray far. If you need me, use your kishkoman."

Behind her, she heard Menduarthis ranting. "Are you mad? One of your bloodthirsty beast-gods wants her and you tell her to blow a damned whistle?"

Hweilan ran, leaving them behind.

She wandered out of the gully and sought the heights. As the stars began to fade in the lightening sky, a sudden hungry longing to see the sun woke in Hweilan. How long had it been since she'd watched the sun rise? She couldn't remember. Since well before the fall of Highwatch.