book title

‘That was a fine animal. I can’t recall seeing a faster horse.’ Eryn looked over the red skin on Toryn’s arm. ‘Moonbeam is swift, but not in a month of full moons could he catch Uleva’s beast.’ She dabbed his arm with a balm smelling of a wildflower that flourished in the meadows of Midwyche. Eryn winced as she turned his arm to see another patch of damaged skin. ‘Is this helping?’

‘The swelling has reduced.’ He nodded to her leg. ‘I see yours has healed already.’

She smiled. ‘It appears there’s some advantage to being a thousand years old.’ Eryn drew her sword and grimaced at the dried stains from her kills. ‘A pity it’s only spiders’ gore. Uleva was vulnerable after leading the attack. But I’m certain a warlock assisted her. And she was lucky to have a horse of such ability.’ She wiped her blade clean. ‘The three of us would have been more than a match. But it would have been a fool’s mission to pursue her into the forest.’

Toryn felt the pain ease a little. ‘I doubt we can hold them off if they return any day soon. With forty dead and close to a hundred injured, we’ll struggle if they can replace their losses quicker.’

Eryn sighed. ‘Then you won’t be pleased to learn the aralaks who assailed the East Watchtower have withdrawn and joined those in the North Forest. Arijan and Calestri keep watch from the ridge, but as yet they have seen no movement.’

Toryn groaned. ‘Then we can’t sit here and wait. We must take the fight to them. And that means—’

‘We need the Nym.’ Eryn picked up the cloth and daubed the red skin on his shoulder. ‘And that is down to you, Toryn. You alone have stepped into a Nym circle and returned. If the Nym of the forest here are willing, I hope they will sense that connection. Then maybe they’ll honor the vow made by their kin in the Foranfae. If they do, then they’ll come at your bidding. But then you’ll have to convince them it’s also in their interest to aid us.’

‘And if they don’t?’ Toryn knew the answer.

‘We have a difficult choice. We either abandon Omstrad, and with it, the South Forest, the Amanach, followed by the rest of Ormsk, or’ — her nose wrinkled — ‘we have to destroy the aralak nest alone.’

Toryn stiffened. ‘Then I must choose my words with care.’

The old trees at the heart of the South Forest grew tall and strong. But Toryn had little time to appreciate its ancient beauty. He could ill afford to fail. At best, they had two days to strike before the egg sacs hatched. Toryn and the Amayans had ridden as fast as they had dared through the close-knit trunks in the gloom. The forest would be dark at the best of times, but the heavy, overcast sky kept out what little light the sun could muster. They had come across a few secluded settlements akin to the Amayans’ home in the Foranfae. And Toryn was surprised to find people still lived in them. He wondered if they had dealings with the Nym, but the few they encountered quickly retreated, preferring to take shelter in their moss-covered huts.

Eryn judged the best place to reach the Nym would be the oldest part of the forest. But whether Toryn could persuade them to join their fight was another matter. Yet, they had no other choice. Without the Nym, an attack on the aralaks’ nest would likely result in a costly failure. And even if they had the numbers, few would welcome venturing into the giant web engulfing the North Forest.

Toryn’s scalp tingled. Eryn pointed at a clearing ahead. ‘There lies the forest’s heart.’ They dismounted, tethered the horses, and stepped out of the shade of the trees into bright sunlight. Toryn squinted in the sudden light. The clouds that had sat heavily upon the towering trees throughout their journey, appeared not to trouble the center. The soft ground felt pleasant beneath his feet, and he was reminded of a meadow where he and Elrik had played as children. But this was not Midwyche. In the middle of the clearing, an ancient tree lifted its bare branches up to the sky. Although leafless, Toryn knew it to be alive, seeming to grow without gaining height — or did it move?

Eryn whispered. ‘We will do what we can to assist you.’ The Amayans formed a circle around him and linked hands. Toryn’s feet, then legs tingled. He had spent the journey forming the words he thought suitable to call the Nym, but now his mind was empty. ‘When you are ready, Toryn.’ Eryn’s voice echoed as if far away. ‘We wish you well.’

He took a deep breath and spoke, but could not be certain if it was out loud or in his head. ‘The Nym of the Foranfae made a vow to my kind. I call upon you in our time of need to honor that vow.’ He waited. Nothing. He tried again. ‘A great evil invades the forest to the north. Your trees are under threat.’ Still no response. ‘If they are not stopped, they will come here.’

A mist formed about the circle and the air chilled. Within the swirling, thickening fog, Toryn saw the Nym. The Amayans faded until just shadows. Toryn entered the world of the spirits.

His head burst as a myriad of voices challenged. Who calls upon the Nym? He tried to answer, but had no voice, and the question was not intended for him. A faint, hooded figure formed before him. It stooped. Two gray eyes appeared from the mist, followed by an oval face upon a slender body, similar to those he had seen in the Foranfae. The eyes looked into Toryn’s soul. It speaks truth. It is named in a vow. Another emerged. It stood twice the height of the others. The Nym spoke out loud. Toryn’s chest vibrated. ‘You have need of the Nym?’

He found his voice. ‘The North Forest is in danger. The aralaks of old lay eggs. The trees are choked with their thick webs.’

The Nym loomed over Toryn. ‘It was your kind who divided the forest, and thus put it in peril.’

Toryn struggled to form his words as his face chilled. ‘And for that act, we will atone one day. But they did not know what hurt they caused.’ The cold eyes stayed fixed on his. Toryn pleaded. ‘The spiders will inflict more harm if left unchallenged, harm that would be difficult to heal.’

The Nym’s head bowed. ‘The old trees in the north died many centuries ago. It is a young forest.’

‘But the aralaks will come here if you do nothing. They, along with the Ul-dalak, crave the trees of the old forest. The people of Ormsk have left its heart untouched, but our enemy care not. Many more will follow. If the Ul-dalak get here first, they’ll fell all these trees for their own ends.’ He pointed to the single tree in the clearing. ‘Servants of Ormoroth will destroy your power. But if the aralaks get their way, they’ll choke the entire forest with their nests, then devour every living creature under its boughs.’

The Nym faded and dispersed like smoke in a breeze. Toryn found himself back among the Amayans. They released their hands. Eryn groaned. ‘Ah! We have failed. They do not come.’

Toryn gaped. ‘You didn’t see them?’

Arijan shook her head. ‘They came?’ She looked to Eryn. ‘We live in strange times. One of the simple folk could see them, while we could not?’

Eryn sighed. ‘They came. That’s all I care about. Did they listen?’

Toryn shrugged. ‘I made our plea, but they left. I don’t know if—’ His head spun as the air stirred, swirling around them as if a storm threatened. This time the Amayans came with him. Six Nym formed a circle. Once more, the tallest spoke to Toryn. ‘A vow was made by the Nym of the south. You speak of an old menace. The Nym heed your warning and will aid you.’ Its outline wavered. ‘But the Nym’s strength wanes. The Nym no longer possess the powers of old.’

Toryn staggered, grabbing hold of the parapet to prevent a fall. ‘A dark veil hangs over the road. I can’t see a thing beyond the ridge.’

Eryn took his arm. ‘This hasn’t happened before. It appears the warlocks reveal their hand. Only they have the means to obscure your farsight.’ She helped him to sit beside the brazier, warming the watchmen on the stockade. ‘Then I’m thankful Calestri and Arijan keep vigil on the ridge. A surprise attack would be disastrous in our present state.’

Toryn groaned. ‘Yet even if warned of an imminent assault, we could no longer defend this town.’ He held his hands to the flames. ‘Thank the Three the Nym are with us.’

Eryn watched the fire dancing on her blade. ‘Indeed. I hope they can protect us with the same mantle that evades prying mortal eyes. But not just to conceal us. They reside in a timeless state. Their cloak would grant us more time to destroy the sacs before the spiders come. And when they do, we would appear as a blur to them, thus hopefully causing confusion, perhaps even panic.’

Toryn recalled his first sighting of the Nym as they abducted Hope in the Foranfae. ‘Ah. Much as they appear to us.’ His skin crawled. ‘But for how long? Do they have the power to hide us all for the duration of the task?’

Eryn lowered her sword. ‘That depends on who is present in that forest. A warlock could possibly force entry, or perhaps drain the Nym’s strength by other means.’ She held Toryn’s gaze. ‘I suggest you and your companions torch the spiders’ sacs, while I and my sisters stand ready should the defense fail.’

Toryn shuddered. ‘I don’t rate our chances of getting out if that happens.’ He prodded the fire with the poker. ‘But even if we destroy the nest, the aralaks still need to be driven out. If they stay, they will simply lay more eggs following our retreat.’

Eryn stood. ‘My hope is once the Nym see the damage those beasts have done, they may take it upon themselves to banish them. But as they have warned, they are not the power they once were. And while the warlocks are also weaker without Ormoroth, they appear to grow in stature.’ She spun around. ‘Cymori!’ Her eyes glimmered as she searched the ridge. ‘Quick. Our sister draws near.’

They ran to the gate. The torches burned bright, throwing their warm light on the scarred ground outside the stockade. But beyond, the land was dark. Toryn drew his cloak around his shoulders as he struggled to keep up with Eryn. He called out. ‘When did you last see her?’

‘When we rode north on that fateful mission with Eleni. That resulted in a most tragic outcome, but now I hope we—’ She froze.

Toryn caught up. ‘Eryn? What is it?’

‘It’s Arijan. I hear… she’s in… Now Calestri. They're in trouble!’ She drew her sword. The sound of galloping horses approached. Eryn called out. ‘Arijan! Here.’

The horses slowed. Arijan yelled. ‘Cymori has fallen. She is possessed.’

Eryn cried out. ‘This cannot be!’

Calestri pulled up. ‘She fights with the strength of three.’ She dipped and held out her hand. ‘Come. If we don’t confront her now, she’ll get stronger.’ Eryn leaped onto Calestri’s horse.

Toryn yelled. ‘I’ll get help.’

Eryn called out as the horse sped off. ‘Not your battle, Toryn. Go back and rouse the town in case of attack.’

His stomach convulsed. A horse appeared on the crest. Its rider held her sword aloft and circled it about her head, defiling the air with the same sickening green he had seen at Drunsberg. Cymori turned and disappeared behind the ridge. The Amayans charged; Toryn hoped it was not into a trap.

Toryn spent an anxious night upon the barricade. Blue and green lightning flashes lit up the sky, then fade, only to resume elsewhere. At times he thought he could hear cries, but he could not be certain if they came from Amayan throats, or whether it was the wind whistling through the cracks in the stockade. The watch stood ready, but to Toryn’s relief no attack came. At last, in the dead of night, he spied three horses limping into the glow of Omstrad’s torches.

Toryn rushed to meet them. The old gates creaked as they swung on their rusty hinges. The Amayans entered. Eryn slid from Calestri’s horse and stumbled into Toryn. She looked up as he held her. Blood streamed from a gash across her temple. She sobbed. ‘We have lost another.’ She glanced to the third horse — an Amayan laid across its back. ‘We had no choice.’ Eryn collapsed. Toryn lifted and carried her to their hut. He laid her on a bed as Calestri and Arijan staggered in.

Eryn muttered. ‘How did we not know? How could she keep her corruption hidden from us?’

Calestri kneeled by Eryn’s side and placed a hand on her brow. ‘Our enemy indeed grows strong. But we defeated her. There is still hope.’

Arijan turned to Toryn. ‘You must leave now. We will attend to Eryn.’ She led him to the door.

He glanced over his shoulder. ‘Will she recover?’

‘When ready, we shall take her to the stone. Eryn fought like no other I’ve seen, but she bore the brunt of Cymori’s wrath.’ She sighed. ‘The Nym must have known. That is why they showed themselves only to you at first. Our enemy seeks to divide us, and they appear to be succeeding.’

Toryn looked to the sky. ‘Dawn will be here soon enough. How far to the stone?’

‘But an hour from here. The stones untainted by the Ul-dalak remain out of mortal reach. Many have passed by but will have seen nothing.’ Arijan read Toryn’s mind. ‘Don’t worry. The hours it takes for the stone to heal Eryn, will be just minutes here. We may yet be able to assist you come daybreak.’

Toryn looked back to Eryn. ‘Regardless, we must destroy the nest without delay. We will make the attempt with, or without you.’

Arijan opened the door. Her hand rested on his shoulder. ‘We shall do our utmost, but I cannot tell how long Eryn will need to regain her strength.’

Toryn stood upon the ridge shivering in the chill, morning air. For the first time in weeks, the sky had been clear, but the initial relief on seeing the sunrise was quickly crushed when the northern horizon had turned black. Though many leagues away, the clouds seemed to form an impenetrable wall, billowing ever higher, thrusting against the dome shielding them from the Great Void beyond. Toryn observed them with a growing sense of dread. It was as if the clouds had been summoned and now assembled, preparing to unleash their fury upon them.

But Toryn could not afford the distraction of what may come. His gaze dropped to the North Forest. If he took any courage from the Nym’s vow, it suffered a blow when the day had dawned. Ahead, the trees cocooned in the aralak webs, glistened with morning dew. The barely visible trunks, appeared as tall soldiers awaiting their doom in the thick fog of a battlefield.

Toryn glanced to Gundrul. If the ageing captain shared his doubt, it did not show. But the rest of the company could not hide their unease. Elrik, Lorek and Amyndra had endured and survived much hardship these last weeks, but even they struggled to contain their fear. Janae had also volunteered. Although a tracker, she refused to abandon them as they faced their most grueling challenge yet.

Gundrul nodded to the clouds. ‘I’d wager there’s rain coming.’ At another time, Toryn would have chuckled at the captain’s trite observation, but he wondered whether they would live to feel the rain on their heads.

Gundrul threw back his shoulders and addressed the twelve members of the company. ‘Yes, a grim task awaits. But you have a choice. You can either enter that place as a soldier consumed by fear, and be beaten before you’ve swung your sword. Or… you can storm it as a defender of the realms and everything you hold dear.’ He grinned. ‘And I know which one I’d rather be.’ As always, the old captain’s words struck home. Gundrul looked to the trees behind. ‘Will the Amayans be joining us today, Toryn?’

He looked to his friends’ pale faces. ‘The Amayans fought a battle of their own last night to strike a blow to our enemy. Today, we must do the same. We may, or may not have the Amayans with us, but we’ll have the protection of the oldest force in the land.’

Elrik stammered. ‘Can the Nym be trusted?’ He looked at the other guards. ‘We’ve heard tales about these little folk. It’s said people can lose their minds when those fellows show up.’

Gundrul grunted. ‘We’re about to attack a nest surrounded by a web the size of a fortress. It’s defended by hundreds of giant spiders, and who knows what’s going to ooze out of those sacs.’ His eyebrows raised. ‘So, who here can say with hand on heart, they’ve not already lost their mind?’

This time Toryn laughed. ‘Thank you, Captain. But you needn’t worry. I’ve met the Nym, and as you can see, I’m still of sane mind.’

Now Elrik chuckled. ‘Well, that’s up for debate.’

Gundrul held up his hands. ‘If Toryn says these Nym fellows can be trusted, that’s good enough for me.’ He searched the grassland. ‘Now. Where do we find them?’

Toryn pointed along the ridge. ‘They will meet us at a place sacred to them. They’ll protect us with their magic so we can go about our task of destroying the nest.’ But Toryn could not yet see the tree stump where they were due to meet, and they were exposed until the Nym brought them under their mantle. And not for the first time, Toryn pondered whether they understood the urgency of their mission.