under the tree with only a slight hobble. Hagan didn’t wait for him, but started off toward whatever landmarks he used to guide his path. Caim was content to trail behind. It wasn’t like he was going to lose the old man out here in the wilderness. While he walked, Kit kept pace with his strides.
“Where have you been?” he asked her in a low whisper.
“Right here. I was watching you sleep.”
“I mean last night.”
“Why? Did something happen? Did the old guy try to cut your throat in the night?”
“Of course n—I thought you said I could trust him.”
Her laughter rang like a chorus of bells. “I’m just teasing. He’s a good egg.”
“Good egg, eh? Well, to answer your question, yes, something did happen last night.” He told her about the strange apparition and how it vanished into the night.
“That’s odd,” she said. When he gave her a strained look, she asked, “What?”
“Well, for a start you could tell me what it might have been.”
“Do I look like a ghoul hunter?”
Caim sighed and shifted the bundles on his shoulder to a new position. “Don’t get pissy. I just asked a question. It’s just that you’re … you know …”
“What? Fae?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
Hagan turned his head to the side as if he’d heard something, and Caim dropped his voice ever lower. “I figure you would know more about this stuff than me.”
“Not without being there to see it myself, or getting a better description than what you’ve told me so far.”
“I didn’t get a good look at it. The darkness seemed to, I don’t know, gather around the thing.”
“Well, that’s interesting, but what I was going to say …” She paused until he nodded for her to proceed. “I was going to say maybe I don’t know any more than you about such things.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say it sounds like something from the Shadow.”
“Our guide says people disappear a lot out here.”
“So you’ll be careful?”
“That’s why I keep you around.”
She floated closer and put her arms around his neck. “I thought it was because you couldn’t resist me.”
“Go see where we’re going.”
Her teeth snapped at the end of his nose. “Fine. Be that way.”
Then she was gone. The sky had lost some of its color and now glimmered with an icy grayness. The breeze was slight, but with the exertion of hiking he didn’t mind the chill. In all, Caim felt like he was finally heading in the right direction. But within a candlemark, he started to slow again and pulled down his hood over his eyes. They kept traveling cross-country and stopped at midday to share a cold meal of bread and cheese provided by Hagan.
As the afternoon waned, Caim began to wonder where they would make camp. Hagan surprised him with an invitation.
“My home is close by,” he said. “Just past the next stand. You’re welcome to stay for the night.”
Tempted by the idea of sleeping under a roof, Caim assented, and Hagan adjusted their path a couple points westward. As the sky darkened, a ridge appeared before them. Denuded trees sprouted from its snowy slopes. At the base of the hill stood a small cottage. Tufts of grass showed through the snow covering the low roof. Squares holes covered by hide panes served for windows.
Hagan pushed open the solid plank door and stood aside for Caim to enter. The inside of the cottage was a single open room. It reminded him of Kas’s cabin. Three small beds sat against the walls. A fire burned in a round hearth in the center of the floor, surrounded by a bench of fieldstone. The place smelled of smoke and old leather. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, hung with herbs. A young woman turned toward the door as they entered. The first thing Caim noticed was the way the firelight glimmered in her amber-brown eyes. She was quite pretty, with a pert nose, and copper-hued braids draped down her shoulders.
“Daughter, we have a
“Where have you been?” he asked her in a low whisper.
“Right here. I was watching you sleep.”
“I mean last night.”
“Why? Did something happen? Did the old guy try to cut your throat in the night?”
“Of course n—I thought you said I could trust him.”
Her laughter rang like a chorus of bells. “I’m just teasing. He’s a good egg.”
“Good egg, eh? Well, to answer your question, yes, something did happen last night.” He told her about the strange apparition and how it vanished into the night.
“That’s odd,” she said. When he gave her a strained look, she asked, “What?”
“Well, for a start you could tell me what it might have been.”
“Do I look like a ghoul hunter?”
Caim sighed and shifted the bundles on his shoulder to a new position. “Don’t get pissy. I just asked a question. It’s just that you’re … you know …”
“What? Fae?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
Hagan turned his head to the side as if he’d heard something, and Caim dropped his voice ever lower. “I figure you would know more about this stuff than me.”
“Not without being there to see it myself, or getting a better description than what you’ve told me so far.”
“I didn’t get a good look at it. The darkness seemed to, I don’t know, gather around the thing.”
“Well, that’s interesting, but what I was going to say …” She paused until he nodded for her to proceed. “I was going to say maybe I don’t know any more than you about such things.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say it sounds like something from the Shadow.”
“Our guide says people disappear a lot out here.”
“So you’ll be careful?”
“That’s why I keep you around.”
She floated closer and put her arms around his neck. “I thought it was because you couldn’t resist me.”
“Go see where we’re going.”
Her teeth snapped at the end of his nose. “Fine. Be that way.”
Then she was gone. The sky had lost some of its color and now glimmered with an icy grayness. The breeze was slight, but with the exertion of hiking he didn’t mind the chill. In all, Caim felt like he was finally heading in the right direction. But within a candlemark, he started to slow again and pulled down his hood over his eyes. They kept traveling cross-country and stopped at midday to share a cold meal of bread and cheese provided by Hagan.
As the afternoon waned, Caim began to wonder where they would make camp. Hagan surprised him with an invitation.
“My home is close by,” he said. “Just past the next stand. You’re welcome to stay for the night.”
Tempted by the idea of sleeping under a roof, Caim assented, and Hagan adjusted their path a couple points westward. As the sky darkened, a ridge appeared before them. Denuded trees sprouted from its snowy slopes. At the base of the hill stood a small cottage. Tufts of grass showed through the snow covering the low roof. Squares holes covered by hide panes served for windows.
Hagan pushed open the solid plank door and stood aside for Caim to enter. The inside of the cottage was a single open room. It reminded him of Kas’s cabin. Three small beds sat against the walls. A fire burned in a round hearth in the center of the floor, surrounded by a bench of fieldstone. The place smelled of smoke and old leather. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling, hung with herbs. A young woman turned toward the door as they entered. The first thing Caim noticed was the way the firelight glimmered in her amber-brown eyes. She was quite pretty, with a pert nose, and copper-hued braids draped down her shoulders.
“Daughter, we have a
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