Tree of Ages Box Set Page 16

  “You know each other?” Finn questioned, confused.

  Kai shook his head. “I only know him by reputation. I doubt he knows me.”

  “Who was he?” Finn asked, now more curious than before.

  Kai maneuvered Finn into the rhythm of another slower dance. “Óengus. He is a hunter of some renown.”

  “Hunter?” Finn questioned, not sure why a simple hunter would be infamous. “A hunter of what?”

  Kai glanced back to where Óengus stood, now on the perimeter of the dancers. “People,” he answered softly.

  Finn turned her full attention to Kai, though she had the overwhelming urge to keep an eye on Óengus. “He had quite a few questions about my amoral companions,” Finn explained. “Could it be possible that he is hunting one of you?”

  Kai smirked. “That's doubtful,” he assured, “and he is in no position to throw stones. I, for one, am the picture of pure goodness.”

  Finn cocked her head to the side. “Now why do I doubt that?”

  “Because you are a naïve country girl who knows little of the world,” he said tauntingly.

  Finn huffed in indignation. “Would you call me a liar now as well?”

  Kai lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. “No one would fault you for it. You could tell us the real reason you're traveling around with a notorious conjurer.”

  “I lived in a glen near Greenswallow for as long as I can remember,” she stated plainly, daring Kai to prod her further. It was the truth, as far as she was concerned. If she had lived in other places, well, she did not truly remember them. “And I knew nothing of Àed's history until Branwen told me,” she added.

  Kai smiled in amusement. “Calm down. I was not aware this was such a sore subject for you.”

  Finn was glaring up at Kai as Liaden and Iseult returned to watch the celebrators, a good distance from where Óengus stood. Noticing them, Kai and Finn left the dancers to join them on the outskirts.

  “They had no rooms at the inn,” Liaden explained as their companions approached, “but the innkeep was kind enough to provide bedding for us in a storage room,” she finished in a tone that let Finn know Liaden hadn't thought the act kind at all.

  Feeling out of breath, Finn glanced around in search of their final companion, but saw no sign of him. “Where is Àed?”

  Liaden snorted. “Testing every type of whiskey the inn has to offer.”

  Finn laughed and it eased some of the tension inside of her. She followed Liaden as she turned and led the way to the inn, with Kai and Iseult following close behind. Finn's stomach rumbled for something other than mutjac and stale bread, and she hoped the inn had a proper selection. Some wine would not be out of order either.

  Finn walked underneath a hanging wooden sign carved in the shape of a coin purse, into a simple, but clean inn. On the short walk, she had been informed that the place was called the Dealer's Den, though she could see no gambling taking place. Once inside, Finn found that she much preferred the clean, open common room of the Den to the Sheep's Delight back in Garenoch.

  She scanned the tables. Sure enough, their elderly companion was seated at a table with a dram of whiskey, and several empty mugs besides. A few other patrons sat drinking whiskey or ale, but much of the common room was empty, as the townspeople were all out in the square.

  Finn seated herself next to Àed with Iseult on her other side. Iseult sat rigid as a pole, obviously up in arms about something.

  In complete contrast was Kai who, perfectly at ease, waved down the barmaid before seating himself across the table, next to Liaden. The barmaid approached and set several drams of whiskey on the scuffed and uneven tabletop, even though no one had ordered them, then disappeared into the kitchen to fetch their suppers.

  Finn reluctantly took up the dram that Kai pushed toward her, then held the small container to her nose and took a whiff. She broke out into a fit of coughing at the acrid smell, almost spilling the whiskey in the process.

  “You know,” Kai explained, “you are supposed to drink it, not sniff it. You'd think even a girl from Greenswallow would know that.” He threw back his own dram of whiskey as if it were nothing.

  Not wanting to be outdone, Finn plugged her nose with one hand, and threw back the whiskey with the other, glaring at Kai all the while. It seared her throat all the way down, but left a pleasant warmth in her belly.

  Liaden sipped daintily at her glass, while Iseult ignored his entirely. Iseult was even more restrained than usual as his calm green eyes monitored their surroundings. Finn tried to catch his eye as she pondered his silence, but either he did not notice, or he was ignoring her. He looked around the room coldly, like there were dangers all around, and he was not impressed by any of them.

  The silent barmaid delivered their meals, which consisted of some type of fish and roast turnips, then sauntered away, making it clear she would much rather be out enjoying the Ceilidh.

  The meal was not particularly good, but Finn savored it, glad that it was not unseasoned, roast mutjac. The sounds of ongoing festivities drifted in through the open windows as they ate. Occasionally someone came stumbling in through the door for another round of ale, but they quickly went back outside. Finn was yet to see the Alderman/innkeep since they'd arrived, though she'd been watching for him. She was rather curious what type of Alderman would want to preside over a small burgh like Badenmar, and would choose to be an innkeep as well.

  As the night wore on, patrons began to filter into the common room to continue their drinking where they could rest their feet. After questioning many of them as to whether or not they'd seen a pair of red-headed twins, the party retired to the stockroom. The room was not lavish by any means, but a mat and bedding were provided for each person. In the morning they would look into replacing their bedrolls and other supplies.

  Since there'd been no word on Branwen and Anders, Finn wondered if Kai and Liaden really would venture off on their own the next morning. She'd grown attached to the pair, and didn't relish the thought of never seeing them again, though she knew it was necessary if she was to continue on her quest. Finn only wished she'd had more time to converse with them that evening, but the two had been deeply immersed in a private conversation.

  Kai and Liaden's hushed conversation continued as they claimed the two straw mats in the far back corner of the room, away from the rest of the group. Finn grumbled as Àed guided her toward the bedroll in the middle of the room so that he and Iseult could sleep closest to the door.

  As candles were extinguished Finn closed her eyes, not feeling tired despite the large amount of walking they'd done that day. After a time, the breathing of her companions slowed into the gentle rhythm of sleep, leaving Finn alone with her thoughts.

  She tossed and turned on her straw mat, too filled with restless energy to leave the waking world. It was the first time since Garenoch that Finn had slept inside, and she had mixed feelings about the situation. She found that she was actually grateful for the shelter, and that thought alone worried her. What worried her even more, was that she hadn't thought about being a tree all day. She was, in fact, beginning to like life as a human. She liked being a part of what people did, beyond lending them shade, or a trunk to lean against. She liked dancing and conversing. More than the sense of community, she enjoyed adventure and having the ability to move about as she pleased, meeting new humans and creatures along the way.

  It was that thought that drew her out of her bed. She still enjoyed being near the earth, but it was the promise of new people and new experiences that lured her. Much of the celebration had died down, but she could still hear soft music and the gentle hum of conversation through the walls of their room.

  She quietly donned her cloak and boots, then let herself out into the common room. There remained only two pairs of people in the establishment. One pair, a man and a woman, were deeply absorbed in the act of romancing each other. The other pair, two men, were instantly deemed by Finn as less than fitting company. She guess
ed they would rob her and slit her throat before they would ever converse with her.

  She exited the inn with a second wary glance toward the sinister pair. They watched her go, but without much interest.

  Once outside, Finn discovered that many of the dancers were still present, only they danced slowly and close together. Some of the dancers hung onto their partners, half-asleep. The musicians still played, but their arms moved in a slow, jerky manner, as if they had no real control over their limbs.

  “I'd appreciate if you would stop running off,” a voice said behind her.

  She turned to see Iseult, sullen and tired in his black cloak. He turned his gaze from her to the dancers, worry creasing his brow.

  “Something strange is happening,” Finn whispered. None of the dancers seemed to see them as they neared.

  Finn approached a young man dancing with a woman old enough to be his grandmother. The woman wore no cloak over her festival clothes, though the night had grown chill as the fires died down. Neither of the dancers acknowledged Finn's presence, even when she put her hand right in front of the young man's face.

  “If I did not know better,” Iseult began as he reached Finn's side, “I'd guess we were still in the Blood Forest.”

  A startling thought came to Finn. Since the denizens of the Blood Forest were now free, the rest of the land would be exposed to their magics. Of course, occurrences would not be quite so concentrated, but they would inevitably transpire.

  “Why are only some of the townsfolk affected?” Finn asked warily.

  Iseult shook his head, as if he did not want to believe the reality that had been placed before him. “Why were only some of us affected in the forest? It could be based on a weakness of will . . . ” he glanced down at Finn, who was glaring back at him, “or the Faie could be targeting certain bloodlines,” he amended. “Or perhaps different Faie choose to target different sorts of people.”

  A thud to the left drew their attention. One of the dancers had passed out from exhaustion. Finn went to the woman's side to make sure she had not been injured in her fall. The woman had long salt and pepper hair and wore heavy skirts and a loose shirt like the other dancers. The woman was also quite dead.

  Finn pulled her hand quickly away from the woman's skin. It had felt cold, though she surely was alive just a moment before.

  Iseult half drew his sword from its scabbard as he stood over Finn. His calm hunter's eyes surveyed their surroundings, but the threat had not yet made itself visible. The next thing Finn knew, Iseult had whirled around and now held the tip of his short sword at a man's throat.

  The throat in jeopardy belonged to the silver haired man that Finn had briefly danced with earlier in the night. Óengus held his hands up, showing that he was harmless, though Finn sincerely doubted the legitimacy of the gesture.

  Óengus backed away from the sword's tip. “Now now boy, that is no way to treat one of your superiors.”

  “You are right Óengus,” Iseult replied as he lowered his blade. “Should I find someone I deem superior, I shall be sure that they do not meet my blade.”

  Finn took a step back, surprised that Iseult knew Óengus personally, but found that it put her too close to a pair of the entranced dancers, so she placed herself back by Iseult's side. While they stood, another dancer dropped.

  “We have to do something to stop this,” Finn demanded. Iseult and Óengus continued to stare each other down, ignoring Finn's pleas, so she stomped off toward the treeline in search of the Faie culprits on her own. Iseult sheathed his blade with a growl and both men turned to follow Finn, though they kept a decent span of distance between each other.

  Finn marched into the darkness, not sure what she was looking for. She saw a few flashes of movement as she searched, but nothing that she could quite train her eye on.

  “There,” Óengus said, pointing deeper into the trees as he came to stand at Finn's side.

  “I don't see anything,” she replied while Iseult glared at the older man from Finn's other side.

  Óengus held up a pewter locket that hung from a thin chain around his neck. “Red Verbena,” he explained. “It wards off Tuatha glamour.”

  Iseult's eyes rested on the locket. “Why would you wear a charm against glamours?” he asked suspiciously. “The Blood Forest is a long way off from this place.”

  Óengus tucked the locket safely back inside his shirt. “There have been whispers across the countryside of Faie sightings. Things are changing. I have experienced the Faie before, and would not go into such an encounter unprepared again.”

  Finn thought she heard the sound of laughter trickling down from the overhead branches.

  “Geancanach,” Óengus observed, looking up through the trees. “It makes sense I suppose.”

  “What are you talking about?” Finn snapped, her impatience outweighing the uneasy feeling the man gave her.

  Óengus pointed again, and this time Finn saw what he'd been looking at. A small creature was climbing down the trunk of a nearby tree. There was enough moonlight to illuminate its diminutive form and show that it was covered in leathery gray skin devoid of hair. The creature had small, bat-like wings on its back that Finn doubted served any real purpose.

  The Geancanach reached the bottom of the tree and slowly approached them. It mostly walked on all fours, but would occasionally stand on its hind feet to tip-toe across a thick fallen branch or rock. As it neared, Finn noticed that it had large, pure green eyes set in a small head that looked quite a bit like a rock. Its wide mouth opened into a grin as it looked up and regarded Finn.

  The creature chirped unintelligibly in its language, but Finn recognized the word Dair. The creature danced from foot to foot while looking up at Finn, obviously wanting her to join in the dance.

  “Stop that!” Finn shouted at it. “You're killing people!”

  The creature squinted its eyes in anger, and its chirping language turned to guttural grunts.

  “You should not have done that,” Óengus chided.

  The creature quickly scurried back up the nearest tree, disappearing into the canopy. Moments later, a loud humming emanated from above.

  Óengus lifted his hands as a new sense of pressure rose in the air. “Do you feel that?”

  Finn definitely felt it. Suddenly she felt uncontrollably dizzy. Óengus collapsed where he stood with a soft thud as he crumpled to the ground. Finn tried to run, but ended up falling to the side against a tree trunk. As soon as she touched the tree her mind cleared slightly, though she knew she would not be able to get to her feet.

  It was all Finn could do to keep her eyes open long enough to watch Iseult as he tried to walk toward her. He almost made it, falling close enough to reach out and touch Finn's boot. An eruption of laughter came from the branches of the surrounding trees a few seconds before Finn lost consciousness.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Finn awoke, oddly enough, slumped over in a sitting position. Stranger still, she was moving. She opened her eyes, realizing she was on a horse, and had fallen asleep while riding, though the sun shining brightly overhead let her know it was only midday. She quickly reached for the reins, startled to discover her hands were tied to the pommel of the saddle. Her feet were similarly tied to the stirrups, tight enough to cut off her circulation. There were two people leading her horse, but they walked with the hoods of their cloaks pulled up, so she could not tell who they were.

  She tried not to panic, hoping that her captor would not realize that she had awoken. Her first thought was Óengus, and some unknown companion. Perhaps he had risen before her, and had taken the opportunity to kidnap her. Kai had said that he was a hunter of people, though why he would want her, she did not know.

  “Are you sure the Faie did not permanently damage her?” a woman's voice asked.

  “How should I know?” the man leading the horse responded. “At least we have her alone now, and hopefully it will be a long time before Iseult awakens. I'd rather not have him on our tail.”<
br />
  She knew these two voices. Though now her being tied to a horse made very little sense. She waited in silence hoping to overhear a bit more.

  “I most certainly hope so,” the woman's voice said. “He had obviously taken a liking to her. I would not doubt that he will try and track us down. We really should have killed him.”

  “And lose part of the bounty?” the man questioned sarcastically. “Rumor says that none of her companions were to be harmed.”

  The woman chuckled. “Better than losing all of it. If Óengus is after her, you know that the bounty, even halved, will be worthwhile.”

  “If we can even weasel our way into the deal,” the man chided. “We're stealing a job that was not ours.”

  “I'd just as soon not worry about that now,” the woman said. “We'll have enough trouble getting her all the way to the river as it is. If they want her, they will pay.”

  Finn had had enough. “You deceitful, malicious, crag-headed villains!” she shouted.

  “Looks like she's awake,” Kai said lightheartedly, peering over his shoulder at her.

  In response, Finn began screaming at the top of her lungs. Perhaps if they had not ventured too far Àed or Iseult would hear her.

  Kai handed the reins to Liaden and quickly untied Finn's bindings. She tried to kick the horse into motion, but Kai was already pulling her from the saddle. She swung her hands and feet violently as he attempted to cup a hand across her mouth to stifle her screams. Finally Liaden had to pin Finn down while Kai shoved a balled up piece of cloth in her mouth, then fashioned a rough gag to hold the cloth in place. He then tied her hands behind her back and left her sitting in the dirt a few feet away from the horse.

  All three listened for signs that someone near had heard Finn’s screams, and was coming to the rescue, but all was silent around them. Finn cursed at her captors around her gag, but the words were too muffled for either to know just what she was saying. Although they both could have ventured a fair guess.

  Liaden crouched down beside Finn and waited for her to finish her muffled tirade. Eventually Finn met Liaden's eyes. Inside she was still cursing the woman's very existence, but her gag was getting moist and uncomfortable, so she kept those thoughts to herself.