I pulled my field knife, inverted the blade, and readied to make my kill. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. There wasn’t any room for excitement. Not right now. That could wait until the deed was done. This had to be flawless. Just like Hankin had taught me when I was thirteen.

  The buck was nearly beneath me. I drew in a slow deep breath and held it. Then I pushed off the branch on which I sat. It was a long drop, but I fell as silent as any cat. With the large knife firmly in my grasp, I plunged it to the hilt severing its spine. I focused magic to increase my speed as I yanked the knife free and ran the blade across his neck.

  He spasmed once. Twice. Then dropped.

  I breathed in deep as the herd scattered throughout the grove. Adrenaline coursed through my body. My hands shook. It felt like my senses were being pushed to their limits. The iron-tinged scent of the buck’s blood hung heavy in the air. So did the smell of his fur. I could distinctly hear each raindrop hitting the canopy.

  I hadn’t realized that the adrenaline, mixed with my magic, had boosted my senses so much. I filed it away for future use.

  I looked down at the buck. It’d been a clean kill. Hankin would have been proud. I carefully hefted the beast onto my shoulders and focused more magic into my body. The buck easily outweighed me.

  With the buck draped across my shoulders, I trod through the forest. I’m sure I looked quite silly carrying it, but that didn’t matter. No one was around to see it. And I had caught dinner.

  The rain stung at my eyes and tinged off the metal plates of my armor. Lightning flashed overhead, bathing the forest in a brilliant white for a few heartbeats. Every time the lightning flashed, shapes were highlighted casting eerie shadows across my path. Worst of all, however, was that with the weight of the buck on my shoulders, I was sinking to my ankles with every labored step.

  The lightning flashed once again. A shadow walked across my path and hesitated for a moment. Its eyes glowed dark red. It turned toward me as if judging whether I was worthy of its time.

  “Hello, young prince,” she said. Her voice managed to sound both oily and as smooth as honey at the same time.

  “Uh, hello,” I said.

  “How fair thee this evening?” she asked.

  “Fairly well, all things considered. But I would say it’s a bit cold and wet out here.”

  “That was quite the hunt and kill,” she said. “It was…most impressive.”

  “Why, thank you.” I stared flatly. “What can I do for you?”

  “I wonder if you would share your kill with me.”

  When I hesitated to answer, she spoke again.

  “I wouldn’t ask for much. Perhaps a leg?”

  I hesitated. Without taking my eyes off her, I lowered the buck to the ground. I pulled out my field knife and carefully cut a leg off at the thigh. It would be a semi-prized cut; however, I could tell she was quite powerful. Perhaps this would be a good peace offering. I offered her the leg with one hand while keeping my knife in my main hand.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You honor me with your offering. Allow me to give you something valuable in return. Before your task is done, one of your companions will betray you.”

  “Why would you warn me?” I asked.

  The shadow shrugged. “Perhaps call it thanks. Perhaps call it respect.” She paused for a moment. “Or perhaps I grow weary of being bound to this forest by my own brethren. Perhaps I would like to cause a little chaos in their world.”

  “Why would your own kind bind you here?” I asked.

  She shrugged again. “Let us call it a difference of opinion on leadership.”

  “I see.”

  “I do not believe that you do. Allow me to show you.” The shadows melted away leaving behind a beautiful woman with the skin of the darkest ebony. Her dark eyes sparkled with intelligence and malice. She reached out with a slender finger and slowly pushed my gaping mouth closed. She smiled

  “You are human?” I asked.

  “Once upon a time, I was. But that was long ago.” Her smile faltered. “Long, long ago.”

  “What is your name?” I asked.

  “You may call me Lilith.” She smiled sweetly. “And you?”

  “Ulrich.”

  “Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she said.

  “Likewise. Are you trapped here?” I asked.

  “I am. However, I do not believe I shall always be.” Her smile returned.

  “So, what are you, exactly?”

  “Think of me as your guardian angel.” She kissed me on the cheek. “Be on your way, my young prince.” She smiled. “Hopefully, I will see you again, someday.”

  I smiled. “I think I would like that.”

  Her smile widened, matching mine. “As would I.” Shadows enveloped her for a moment, and then she vanished.

  I stood in the forest, a sliced-up buck at my feet. The rain pounded all around me, and yet I stood dumbfounded. Did that really just happen? I stared at the missing leg on the buck. Well, that leg didn’t vanish into thin air. It must’ve happened.

  I collected my kill and began sloshing through the mud heading toward the house.

  The village looked even spookier in the rainstorm. The lightning highlighted all the buildings, pushing their shadows even deeper into the night. I could see the warm glow from the windows of the house Phillip and Emery had occupied. Smoke rose from both chimneys. Besides that, there were no other signs of life as far as the eye could see.

  They must’ve been watching the windows, because when Ulrich neared the front door, it opened. Emery poked his head out.

  “Hey, Ulrich. That’s quite the catch. Go ahead and bring it around to the back of the building. There is an area there for cleaning animals.” I did as he asked. Along the back of the building was a large overhang open on the backside. There was a bench as well as several tools arrayed in a semicircle. A stone basin, most likely for blood to run into, was built into the front of the bench.

  I dropped the buck onto the table, grabbed a skinning knife, and sharpened it on the whetstone inlaid in the bench. The next hour was spent skinning, cleaning, and preparing flank steaks. Phillip and Emery would take turns coming out and grabbing the slabs of meat and taking them back inside. I took the pelt and stretched it over a nearby tanning rack. Perhaps we could sell it or use it.

  I washed my hands and my armor in the nearby bucket of rainwater filled by runoff from the top of the house. It’s almost like this entire house was set up for a meat processing operation. Oh well, no complaints here.

  I moved into the house and began to strip my armor. The fireplaces roared like an inferno on either side of the large living space. I hung my armor on the woodpile Phillip had gathered and plopped down in front of the fire. The heat was heavenly. Almost immediately, the cold and weariness began to ebb. I hadn’t realized how cold or fatigued I had been. Closing my eyes, I nodded off to sleep.

  Something shook my shoulder. I opened my blurry eyes and looked up. Phillip loomed over me. He held a plate in one hand and a mug of something steaming in the other. His face was plastered with a grin.

  “Brought you something.” I sat up and took the two items from him. The smell of a strong-scented tea wafted out of the mug. The plate was covered with a giant deer steak and a baked potato.

  “Thank you,” I said. “How long was I out for?”

  Phillip shrugged. “A couple of hours. It looked like you needed the rest when you came in so we left you to it.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I snatched up the potato and took a bite. Perfection. “How are you and Emery holding up?”

  “Not bad, all things considered.” He grinned. “How’s the food?”

  “Really good,” I said around a mouthful of steaming potato. I tore into the steak next like a savage. The meat was so tender and juicy. It was heavenly. “It’s really good.”

  “I’m glad.” Phillip walked to the other side of the room.

  Emery sat next to the other fireplace, sharpening his daggers. Before your task is done, one of your companions will betray you. Lilith’s words echoed in my mind. No sense worrying about it for now.

  I finished my meal in silence and then used the quiet time to clean up my armor. With it dry, I was able to apply oils to it to keep it from rusting. I used my whetstone to sharpen my knife and my sword. Maintenance was important. Hankin had always said so. I grinned. So many of his lessons were really coming in handy these days. When I returned, I would have to thank him. Even Aenor.

  With my equipment maintained, I rearranged my bedroll in front of the fireplace. My knife was below the bag I used as a pillow. Phillip laid his bedroll next to mine and added his own knife beneath his makeshift pillow.

  “Something bothering you?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking,” I said quietly. “Something seems fishy about this whole Dwarven threat thing. I don’t think we know the full story.”

  Phillip nodded. “Yeah… I’m not sure what’s going on either. Maybe best not to think about it too much?”

  “It’s all I can think about,” I whispered.

  Phillip looked over at Emery, who was meticulously working on his daggers. He arched an eyebrow.

  I shrugged. “Probably nothing. How are we for firewood?”

  He pointed at a small pile. “Got plenty. I went out earlier and stocked us up for the night.”

  I nodded. “Great. One less concern then.”

  By the time Emery removed his boots and crawled into his bedroll, Phillip was already snoring lightly.

  “Good night,” said Emery.

  “Good night,” I replied. It wasn’t long before he too was asleep.

  I stared at the ceiling for quite some time.

  Be vigilant…before your task is done, one of your companions will betray you. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out her voice. It wasn’t just a thought. I could hear her. Sleep well.

  I sighed and closed my eyes.

  6

  Ulrich

  When we woke the next morning, we decided to walk the perimeter of the property to make sure nothing had been stalking us at night. We split ways to cover more ground. I’d been walking about five minutes when Emery found something.

  “Hey, you two, come and look at this.”

  “What is it?” asked Phillip. We turned and headed over to Emery. The bodies of three men had been eviscerated. Their limbs lay nearby, still clutching their weapons. The pool of blood they lay in had been diluted by the heavy downpour. Emery leaned down and pulled back the sleeve of one of the arms. A black skull was tattooed on the wrist.

  “Dead Hand cultists.” He dropped the hand back into the mud. “But what in the hells did this?”

  “I have no idea,” I lied. I knew the answer already. Lilith. But I wasn’t about to vocalize it. “But we should get rid of the bodies. Shouldn’t leave them here for someone else to come across them.”

  Emery nodded. “I agree. Come. Help me move them.”

  We carried the bodies to the nearby graveyard. Surprisingly, three open plots sat waiting.

  “This is really strange,” said Phillip. “The dirt has been freshly dug.”

  “I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth,” I said. I chucked the limbs I had been carrying into the open grave. Emery dragged one of the bodies by the ankles and Phillip another. They unceremoniously dumped the bodies into the graves. I went back for the third and did the same. We grabbed the nearby shovel and filled in the graves from the nearby dirt pile.

  “You guys realize we are not alone in this town, right?” Phillip asked.

  Emery and I nodded.

  “This is worrisome,” said Emery.

  “Agreed.” I looked at Phillip. “Any ideas?”

  He shrugged. “None whatsoever. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Or heard of it for that matter.”

  “I’m not talking about the bodies.” I frowned. “Okay, I’m talking about the bodies, not what happened to them.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Emery. “The bodies alone are concern enough.”

  “While I agree, I’m more interested at the moment in who sent them. No one knows where we are. These men weren’t here by coincidence. They came here looking for us.”

  “Could they have been following at a distance?” asked Phillip. “Came into the town under cover of darkness when they figured we would be asleep?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so. The only way that would be possible is if they followed us from the aqueducts below Laencaster.”

  “That seems rather unlikely,” said Emery.

  Phillip nodded. “That makes sense.” He looked at me. “What doesn’t make sense is how calm you are about the whole thing.”

  Emery arched an eyebrow. “Agreed. Ulrich? Did you do this?”

  “Indeed not,” I said. “Unless I was sleepwalking—er—dismembering.” I shrugged. “Our enemies were destroyed. We were left unharmed. Had we been in danger, I believe there would have been six plots dug instead of three.”

  Phillip frowned. “That makes sense. I think.”

  Emery shrugged. “Either way, we should depart posthaste. The more we dawdle here, the farther the cultists will be ahead of us.”

  I nodded. “Agreed.”

  We turned back to our shelter and gathered our supplies.

  Twilight broke as the sun crested over the nearby foothills to the east. Rays of golden sunshine refracted by droplets on the grasses and leaves exploded into a rainbow of dazzling colors. It was beautiful. The morning air was crisp but not cold enough to freeze the water. I turned back to the village to see Lilith leaning against the tree smiling back at me.

  “Everything all right?” asked Phillip.

  “Yeah,” I said. I looked again. Lilith was gone.

  “It’s the village,” said Emery. “Creepy as hell. I’ll be glad to put it behind us.”

  Before your task is done, one of your companions will betray you. Lilith’s words echoed in my thoughts once again.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “It was kind of peaceful.”

  “Peaceful?” demanded Emery. He turned to Phillip. “Peaceful, he says.” He turned back to me. “Nothing but nightmares and unwell thoughts since the moment we stepped foot in Murton.” He shook his head as we walked. “Good riddance.”

  Phillip shrugged. “I’m telling you. Whatever is here in the village was protecting us.”

  “Never did show its face,” said Emery.

  I chuckled. “Maybe we just didn’t suit its appetite?”

  Emery scoffed. “Yeah.” He hesitated. “Maybe.”

  We walked in silence for a good couple of hours before any of us spoke again.

  “Hey, Emery, what are we doing out here again?” I asked.

  “You mean besides tracking down your woman?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said sheepishly.

  “Your father wishes us to investigate a potential location for a forward base as he believes the Dwarves are up to something, as he put it.”

  “Up to something?” asked Phillip.

  “I guess I just don’t understand it,” I said. “The Dwarves have been our staunchest supporters for as long as I’ve been alive.”

  Phillip shrugged. “Maybe he received some intelligence that we are unaware of?”

  Emery chuckled. “Who knows. We just go where we are commanded. If the king says go kill a Dwarf, we go kill a Dwarf.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

  “Just like that,” said Emery. “There should be no room for hesitation when commanded by the king.”

  I frowned. “I see…”

  “Come now, Prince Ulrich. You were in the military for two years. Surely you remember how the chain of command works.”

  My frown deepened. “I don’t believe there is room for blind obedience in the world. If an order is morally wrong, we have an obligation to disobey it.”

  Emery gasped. “Even if it is from the king?”

  “Especially if it is from the king.” I turned to him. “He is the highest symbol of power. He should lead by example and, as such, set an example by which to live by.”

  “Whether or not he is your father, you should be careful, sir,” he said. “Words like that could get you killed.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll take my chances with my beliefs. If one’s authority cannot withstand being questioned, then its very base of power is suspect.”

  Phillip shook his head. “Ballsy as usual, Ulrich.” He grinned. “I’d never dare to say any such thing. Even in the privacy of my own home.”

  “Smart,” said Emery. “Very wise. Those kinds of thoughts most definitely don’t belong in spoken word.” He turned to me and glared. “You could be tried for treason for uttering such thoughts.”

  “It matters not,” I said. “Only two people have ever heard me say anything, and I trust them both.”

  Phillip grinned. Emery frowned.

  “Fine,” I said. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  Emery nodded. “Gladly. The conversation makes me quite uncomforta—” He gasped. “What’s that up ahead?”

  “Looks like trouble,” said Phillip. We quickened our pace.

  “Have either of you two ever fought undead before?” asked Emery.

  “No,” I said. “I can’t say that I have.”

  Phillip shrugged. “Me neither.”

  Emery nodded as we proceeded to the village. “Biggest thing you have to worry about is their teeth. Don’t ever let them bite you. You’ll become infected with whatever disease makes them the way they are.”

  “So it’s a disease?” I asked.

  “So we believe.” Emery shrugged. “No one really knows for sure.”

  “Should we increase our pace?” asked Phillip.

  “Perhaps a little bit,” said Emery. “Just don’t run. You don’t want to be exhausted when you finally get to the fight.”

  Ahead of us, the villagers were fighting the undead. They were using whatever instruments they had at hand. Some used pitchforks. Some used torches. Some used sickles and machetes. I even saw one decapitate a zombie with a shovel. It was pretty gruesome.