The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter Thirteen: I get stabbed, and it's Not Fun

 Raön groaned and rolled onto his side. Why did his head feel like it was splitting itself in half? What had he done last night? Or rather, tonight. It was still dark.

He reached around, and felt something warm and sticky in his hair. When his blurry eyes finally focused on his hand, he saw dark covering his fingers. Blood.

He blinked again and again, then sat up, turning to look into the bedroom. But he already knew what he would see.

The door was open, and a single candle illuminated the bed. Covers torn off the bed. The empty bed. Raön staggered to his feet, pulse thundering in his head. He stumbled, ran into the wall, and went along it till he came to the window. It was open. He leaned out, and saw the body lying against the wall, blood splattered across any visible skin.

He turned and half ran through the cabin to the porch. Two more bodies were sprawled across the steps.

Sand and dirt were thrown everywhere, with muddy footprints covering the wooden porch.

Raön ran back inside, grabbing his bag and tearing it open. He pulled out a leather vest and belt covered with sheathed knives.

The dark feather in his chest caught his eye, and he plucked it out, setting it on the fire mantel. New blood stained the hole it left behind.

They couldn't have gotten far.

He shrugged on the vest and belted the knives around his waist.

Had they killed all the guards?

Raön swung a cloak around his shoulders and left.

.........

They tied me to a tree at the edge of their camp, my ankles lashed together. There were at least seven of them, each dressed in black, with masks covering their faces. Once they had come to the clearing, they had argued whether to kill me now or eat first. Eating first won, and now six of them were sitting around a tiny fire, eating. The seventh one stood barely three feet away from me, a dart blower in his hand. I watched the circle of black clad figures with dread, but my eyes kept going blurry. I shook my head and blinked. The person beside me lashed out with his foot, hitting me in the side. I fell, the ropes tearing into my wrists as I was wrenched away from the tree.

"Don't move." He snarled.

I bit my lip, but tears trailed down my cheeks.

He kicked at me again, this time glancing off my shoulder. I cried out, and he kicked my leg.

"Shut up."

I looked up at him, and saw his eyes glittering from behind the mask. What I saw there made me look away quickly. Not just anger. Hate.

A whisper teased my ear, and I tilted my head. Two of the figures had their heads bent together, talking quietly.

I listened carefully, straining to catch the words. They spoke in the language of men.

"How's the wound?"

"Stings. Didn't see that monstrosity in the dark until he jumped up right in front of me. Had hair like a ghost he did."

"Did you get him?"

"Ya. He's down."

"Good. Wouldn't want that after me."

More tears poured down my face. No. No! They had killed Raön.

"Better kill her now. Some of the guards might have gotten away. There were too many of them."

I froze, my chest squeezing itself into a ball. They hadn't gagged me, but who would hear? I drew in a breath to scream, but the guard beside me kicked again, this time my gut. I doubled over, wrists screaming from the strain.

The guard beside me yelled. "Hey, one of you! I need to go do some business! Get over here."

One of the figures got up from the fire, and stomped over. He hadn't put his mask back on, and I caught a glimpse of dark skin. "Then get on with it. And hurry."

The guard jogged away, crashing into the forest behind me. The new guard took his place. The two that had been talking stood, and the rest all looked up.

"Let's get the job done."

My heart hammered against my ribs.

They started walking towards me, one with a bad limp, dark shapes against the flames. I scooted back until my spine pressed against the tree.

The guard that reached me first knelt down, and grabbed my chin, turning my face from side to side. His mask was on, but I saw the same poisonous hate in his eyes. Swift as a snake, he backhanded me across the cheek. My head snapped to one side, and I felt more tears leak from my eyes.

"You're lucky I don't think you attractive. 'Twould be far worse for you then."

I looked up, meeting his eyes, then spit in his face.

He shouted a curse, and slapped me again.

"Is Lark back yet? He won't want to miss this." He pulled a long knife from his belt. I shrank back.

"Oh yes, lady. Do you want to know what we're going to do to you?"

I closed my eyes, and tried to block his guttural voice.

"First, we're going to stab you right here." He pressed the point of the blade over my heart. I gasped as the point slipped through my shirt and sank into my skin.

"Then," he drew the blade back. "we're going to cut out your heart, and show it to you. Not me though. Him."

Another man appeared from the shadows, silent. He knelt next to the man who held the knife, and took it from him. 

His face was shadowed, but not masked, skin pale and mouth dark.

I looked closer into his eyes. They were completely black.

Twisted One.

"Lark!" The other man roared. "He won't wait!"

There was no answer.

I drew a breath.

"Fine." He motioned to the Twisted One, and he stabbed me.

I twisted, and the blade skidded along my ribs and sank into my arm. I screamed. It was cold. So cold.

The Twisted One drew the blade out and drew it across his tongue. I sobbed. I could feel hot wetness flooding down my arm.

"Hold still!" His breath blasted into my face.

Behind him, on the other side of the fire, I saw a flash of white. Silvery white.

"This time, you'd better not move."

There was a hiss, like the air had parted, and the dark-skinned guard slumped to the ground, his eyes fixed on the hilt suddenly sprouting from his chest. The Twisted one left up, melding back into the shadows. Another hiss, and the eyes of the guard in front of me widened. He fell, leaving the dagger in my lap. All the guards at the fire scattered, running into the trees. The limping guard snatched the dagger and pointed it at my throat. A blade sprouted from his hand, splattering me with blood. He yelled and dropped the knife, then another one sank into his throat. I looked around, but couldn't see white anywhere. A horrible yell sounded from close to the camp, then another, and another.

Then silence, nothing but the snap of logs in the fire.

I strained my eyes to see past the sparks rising up.

I heard the crunch of a leaf behind me, and drew breath to scream, but there was a snap, and the ropes fell slack.

Then a hand pulled me to my feet, and arms wrapped around me.

"Found you." Raön whispered.