Barb Hendee - Rebel Fay

Sorhkafare almost stopped fighting for air.

Within Kжdmon's mouth he saw malformed teeth stained with blood.A human mouth with sharpened fangs like a dog or short-snouted goblin. He slashed the knife across the back of Kжdmon's forearm, but the man did not even flinch.

Sorhkafare's chest convulsed, trying to get air, and his sight began to dim. He rammed the blade into the side of Kжdmon's neck.

Kжdmon's head snapped sideways under the blow. He gagged once before his face turned back, now little more than a blurred oval of white in Sorhkafare's waning sight.

"It won't help," Kжdmon sobbed. "I'm sorry… it never does."

Air seeped in through Sorhkafare's nose.

He heaved, filling up his lungs, then gagged and coughed as he tried to suck more air. He lay on his side upon the ground, not even knowing he had fallen. A blurred form appeared above him and reached down. Sorhkafare twisted away in panic.

"Get up, sir!" it said, and the words were in his ownElvish tongue. "The horses have been slaughtered… we must run!"

Vision cleared, and Sorhkafare saw one of his commanders. Snahacroe reached down for him, but Sorhkafare only looked about for Kжdmon.

The man lay crumpled on his side, off to the left. The shaft of an elven spear rose from his torso. Its silvery tip protruded from Kжdmon's rib cage, and black fluids ran from the bright metal to the ground.

Sorhkafare stared at the gaping wound, not truly aware of Snahacroe until his kinsman pulled at him, trying to make him follow.

Kжdmon rolled onto his face and braced his hands upon the ground. He pushed up and lifted his head. Snahacroe halted in shock to look at the human.

Ksedmon began to shake. Once more his whole body seemed to clench. His fingers bit into the earth as if he sought to hold on to it and keep from rising.

"Run," he whimpered.

Sorhkafare still hesitated. The man could not be alive. The spear point dripped more black fluid from his body and the same ran from the knife wound in his neck. The broken stream of fluid vanished as it struck the earth, but Sorhkafare heard the slow patter continue.

"Run… while you can!" Kжdmon shouted.

Snahacroe wrenched Sorhkafare around and they fled.

Grim silhouettes closed in behind them with pounding feet. The more that came, the more Sorhkafare saw one here and there from the ranks of both sides that day in battle. Their faces seemed too pallid in the dark.

All around were figures with glittering eyes.

Sorhkafare…

The name clung to Magiere's thoughts like her own, as she came slowly back to consciousness.

"Sgailsheilleache, hold off!"

It was Brot'an's voice, but Magiere only saw moving blurs around her. She felt and smelled moss against her face.

She began panting hard.

"She is unnatural," Sgaile snapped."Undead… in our forest!"

"No," Brot'an barked. "She is something else. Now do as I say!"

Magiere took three rapid breaths before her thoughts cleared in realization.

Brot'an had never told the others about what he had seen of her in Dar-mouth's crypt. He had kept her secret.

It didn't matter anymore. She'd lost all control, and they'd all seen her.

Magiere's sight cleared slowly. She lay on her side, one hand limp upon the moss before her face. There was blood on her fingernails.

But her hand was not long-boned and tan as it had been in the dream… the vision… whatever she should call the sights and sounds that had taken her. She saw only her own pale hand, not that of the elven man she had become… Sorhkafare .

Why? She hadn't touched the remains of any victim, trying to see through the eyes of its undead killer at the moment of death.

Magiere flopped onto her back, trying to find the faces of those around her. She looked at the birch that she'd backed into and touched before the world turned black. She began to tremble.

The tree's trunk bore the mark of her hands. Where she'd touched it, the bark had darkened and dried dead. Brittle pieces had already fallen away.

"Leesil!" she cried out.

"Here… I'm here!" he answered; and then, "Get out of my way!"

A wet nose grazed her neck, and Chap's head pressed into her face.

She dug her fingers in his fur and hung on. Leesil dropped to his knees beside her.

Magiere latched on to him, thrashing around to bury her face in the chest of his hauberk and hide from all eyes.

"It's all right," he whispered.

She still felt the lingering shock in her body and saw in her mind the marks of her hands upon the birch. Nothing was all right anymore.

Magiere closed her fingers on Leesil's hauberk until its leather creaked in her hands and its rings bit into her palms. The name she'd been called still echoed in her head. Her… his allies came in the dark with colorless eyes and teeth stained with the blood of their own.

Sorhkafare.

"I said keep back!" Leesil growled, and pulled Magiere closer. "It's over."

He knew better than to touch Magiere until she recognized him. But when she fell and cried out for him, he knew her dhampir nature had already retreated.

Brot'an stepped around to wave Sgaile off. Osha finally released Wynn.

En’nish was on her feet but still hunkered from Brot'an's strike. Her one remaining companion aided the other that Magiere had thrown into the trees. They both emerged, but the latter man was limping badly and the front of his tunic was shredded.

Nein'a glared at Leesil in shock. Any hint of fearful and angry denials she'd cast at him were gone. There was only wary revulsion as her gaze drifted from him down to Magiere hiding in his arms.

"It is not over," Freth said coldly, and the white majay-hi shifted silently in her way. "You have brought an undead into our midst. I do not understand how this is possible, but this thing you coddle will not remain."

Leesil's anger rose again, but he couldn't leave Magiere.

"Chap," he said quietly, "kill anyone who takes a step."

Chap didn't answer in any fashion. He simply paced around Leesil to stand before Magiere and glanced once at the white majay-hi blocking Freth.

"Enough," Brot'an insisted. "If she were undead, the forest never would have allowed her to enter. There is nothing Leshil could have done to change that."

Leesil wasn't certain about the shift in authority taking place. Both Sgaile and Freth were reluctant, but it seemed Brot'an took charge. For the moment, it served to protect Magiere from the others-but still, Leesil didn't like it.

Brot'an's pale scars stood out like white slashes on his lined face. "We are all fatigued from a night of running with no food. We will rest part of the day in the outer forest."

He gestured toward the fern-curtained passage.

"Frethfare, please report to Most Aged Father. Tell him all is settled, that we have found the human woman and will return soon. Sgailsheilleache, you and Osha find food, and En’nish…"

Brot'an spun toward her, and now Leesil couldn't see his expression.

"You and those serving your purpose will keep well apart from Sgaile and his charges. Or you will have more to answer for upon our return."

En’nish picked up her fallen blade as she hobbled past Brot'an. Her face dark with malice, she joined her two companions and headed out through the woods' passage.

Leesil tried to get Magiere on her feet. When Brot'an approached, Chap lunged, and his teeth clacked shut on air as Brot'an leaped away.

"No more," Sgaile said quickly to the dog. "No more fighting… let him pass."

Brot'an betrayed subtle surprise at Sgaile's words. "It seems there are some things you have not told me."

Sgaile sighed but didn't answer.

"It's all right, Chap," Magiere said.

Leesil's uncertainty grew. Brot'an might have pacified further conflict for the moment. But it was still Brot'an, the one who'd used him. Leesil would never sink to a hint of gratitude, but he let Magiere step forward to follow Brot'an.