were sharp.
Fire was available at a flicking of his fingers, if the blade was not enough as a weapon, and Joryn was ready to call upon that fire, he lifted the hand which did not hold the dagger, ready to use his gift, but a gentle hand on his arm stilled him.
"Wait," Keelia whispered as she came to stand beside him. "I don't think he means us any harm."
He or it? To Joryn, the creature seemed much more like a thing than a Caradon or a man.
"Look at the eyes," Keelia said gendy. "He is not one who has chosen evil. There is no talisman around his neck, and I do not detect anger, only ... pain. Such horrible pain."
Keelia made a move as if she intended to approach the mutant, but Joryn stopped her with a firm hand. "Do not move closer. Any creature in great pain is capable of lashing out"
She obeyed his order, and stopped her approach. But she did not return to her place of safety behind him. She directed her words to the creature. "You were bitten," she said.
The creature tried to speak, but could only make a pitiful sound that was somewhere between man and animal. Finally it nodded once.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Keelia sounded truly sympathetic. Still, Joryn half expected the Queen to command the creature to complete its transformation and move on, but apparently she saved her directives for him.
The creature by the stream lifted its claws and pointed at Keelia. This time it struggled to make near-word sounds. "Thy. Ah. Mo."
Keelia took a step toward the creature, in spite of Joryn's warnings. "Please, again?"
"Thy. Ah. Mo." Each word was half-growl, half-word.
Joryn sniffed the air. Someone was coming.
Keelia lifted a hand to her forehead. "Think your words here. Direct them to me, if you can."
The green-eyed mutant nodded his head quickly, closed his eyes, and then said again as he concentrated, "Thy. Ah. Mo."
Keelia spun around quickly, her eyes widening. "There are more."
Five mutants, much like the one they had found by the stream and yet distinctively different in their fury, burst from the woods and effectively surrounded Joryn and his Red Queen. It was the first time he had been so close to the monstrosities bent on violence, and for a moment his heart stopped. They were so unnatural, so horribly wrong.
There was no time for dwelling on the horror. Joryn drew Keelia close to him and surrounded them with a circle of fire. The flames, which quickly grew high and powerful, might scare the creatures away. Many wild creatures were afraid of fire, and these things might be no different. He still needed the Anwyn Queen to end this horror, and even if all else failed, he had to protect her.
The creatures moved closer, not at all intimidated by the fire. One of them stuck a misshapen claw into the flame, and twisted its mouth in what had to be an attempt at a grin.
"We can fight them," Keelia said in a lowered voice.
"We?" They would eat her alive. They would tear her apart.
"We. Truce, remember? Anwyn and Caradon fighting together." She looked up at him. "It starts here."
The first beast leapt through the wall of fire, and Joryn placed himself between the creature and Keelia. A blast of fire blinded the creature for a moment, giving Joryn time to thrust his knife into the chest where a heart should be. The mutant fell.
Another had already entered the circle of flame, and Keelia faced it bravely. Her arms were transformed, her claws ready. The sight of those claws took the creature by surprise, long enough for Keelia to swipe out and open its throat. It fell to the ground without ever touching her.
She was not only strong; she was fast, much faster than he. had imagined was possible. The hideous beasts were frightening in their deformity and their rage, but Keelia displayed no fear as she fought. The second beast she faced was prepared for her claws, so the fight was not as simple as the first. Joryn wanted to assist her, but he had his own attacker to battle. The creature was not afraid of fire, and
Fire was available at a flicking of his fingers, if the blade was not enough as a weapon, and Joryn was ready to call upon that fire, he lifted the hand which did not hold the dagger, ready to use his gift, but a gentle hand on his arm stilled him.
"Wait," Keelia whispered as she came to stand beside him. "I don't think he means us any harm."
He or it? To Joryn, the creature seemed much more like a thing than a Caradon or a man.
"Look at the eyes," Keelia said gendy. "He is not one who has chosen evil. There is no talisman around his neck, and I do not detect anger, only ... pain. Such horrible pain."
Keelia made a move as if she intended to approach the mutant, but Joryn stopped her with a firm hand. "Do not move closer. Any creature in great pain is capable of lashing out"
She obeyed his order, and stopped her approach. But she did not return to her place of safety behind him. She directed her words to the creature. "You were bitten," she said.
The creature tried to speak, but could only make a pitiful sound that was somewhere between man and animal. Finally it nodded once.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Keelia sounded truly sympathetic. Still, Joryn half expected the Queen to command the creature to complete its transformation and move on, but apparently she saved her directives for him.
The creature by the stream lifted its claws and pointed at Keelia. This time it struggled to make near-word sounds. "Thy. Ah. Mo."
Keelia took a step toward the creature, in spite of Joryn's warnings. "Please, again?"
"Thy. Ah. Mo." Each word was half-growl, half-word.
Joryn sniffed the air. Someone was coming.
Keelia lifted a hand to her forehead. "Think your words here. Direct them to me, if you can."
The green-eyed mutant nodded his head quickly, closed his eyes, and then said again as he concentrated, "Thy. Ah. Mo."
Keelia spun around quickly, her eyes widening. "There are more."
Five mutants, much like the one they had found by the stream and yet distinctively different in their fury, burst from the woods and effectively surrounded Joryn and his Red Queen. It was the first time he had been so close to the monstrosities bent on violence, and for a moment his heart stopped. They were so unnatural, so horribly wrong.
There was no time for dwelling on the horror. Joryn drew Keelia close to him and surrounded them with a circle of fire. The flames, which quickly grew high and powerful, might scare the creatures away. Many wild creatures were afraid of fire, and these things might be no different. He still needed the Anwyn Queen to end this horror, and even if all else failed, he had to protect her.
The creatures moved closer, not at all intimidated by the fire. One of them stuck a misshapen claw into the flame, and twisted its mouth in what had to be an attempt at a grin.
"We can fight them," Keelia said in a lowered voice.
"We?" They would eat her alive. They would tear her apart.
"We. Truce, remember? Anwyn and Caradon fighting together." She looked up at him. "It starts here."
The first beast leapt through the wall of fire, and Joryn placed himself between the creature and Keelia. A blast of fire blinded the creature for a moment, giving Joryn time to thrust his knife into the chest where a heart should be. The mutant fell.
Another had already entered the circle of flame, and Keelia faced it bravely. Her arms were transformed, her claws ready. The sight of those claws took the creature by surprise, long enough for Keelia to swipe out and open its throat. It fell to the ground without ever touching her.
She was not only strong; she was fast, much faster than he. had imagined was possible. The hideous beasts were frightening in their deformity and their rage, but Keelia displayed no fear as she fought. The second beast she faced was prepared for her claws, so the fight was not as simple as the first. Joryn wanted to assist her, but he had his own attacker to battle. The creature was not afraid of fire, and
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