Ice-Bound Promise [Wattys 2023 Shortlister]

11

11

They reached the river as mid-day passed, its wide, lazy curves cutting a great gash into the landscape. Flowing from the Ghoshun mountains to the north-west, making a languid procession south-east towards the foot of the Akaean Sea, hundreds of miles distant. Únik couldn't imagine how large the river would become as it flowed into the sea. Even here, she could hardly believe the size of it, even though she had crossed it before, years ago.

Wildlife and plant life began to appear more plentiful the further east they travelled, with Barsa's ears pricking at every movement of a rabbit, or the playful bouncing of deer through grass that had started growing tall and green. Even with his injuries, the hound still thought he could run and chase the animals as though he had not fought a creature of nightmares not so long ago.

Every so often, the Fae looked back the way they had travelled, a look of concern crossing her features and she began to grow silent, even as her movements became more measured. Whatever the Fae could sense, it caused Únik to swivel her head more than a few times to attempt to see what the Fae saw.

Hatyara had stopped her incessant whining, as she too sensed a creeping tension between them all. Along the way, she had found a sturdy branch that she used to walk with and, Únik imagined, as a weapon if she needed it. Almost reaching the Ice-Kin's shoulders, the branch only reached half-way up Únik's body. A short weapon, for certain, but any was better than none.

"Not far now." Shihiri pointed her staff towards a small inlet in the near distance, where reeds of some kind clumped and clustered against the slow flowing river. "Have a care. I fear we are not the only ones around."

Even as the words passed her lips, Barsa turned and began growling, his head down, tail straight and fluffed. Únik had learnt never to dismiss Barsa's senses and she turned, herself, gazing off into the distance. Squinting, she could not see what Barsa saw, or heard. Nothing but the undulating landscape, littered with clutches of trees, boulders and small hills.

"I think we should move faster." Patting Barsa's behind, avoiding his injuries, Únik then patted her leg before turning to follow Shihiri.

"It's them, isn't it?" Moving closer to Únik and Barsa, Hatyara gripped her little staff, looking beyond Únik's body as though she could hide from the coming threat.

"Can't tell." Sniffing the air, cocking her head, Shihiri tested the wind blowing their way. "Whatever, whoever it is, we can't chance it. A little further. That's all we need."

They quickened their pace and Únik wished they had not spent so long resting along the way. Shihiri had said their pursuers were only three hours behind and that was well over a day ago. She wondered if they, too, had suffered attacks by the wondering beasts of the tundra. A tundra that now fell behind them, giving better footing for horses' hooves.

Sure enough, as they raced towards the inlet, the sound of galloping hooves reached their ears, carried by the wind. In the distance, still, but that meant nought when the ground remained as flat and hard as the kind they ran across now.

Once again, Únik felt fear clutch at her chest. From the moment she had found Hatyara, Únik had become lost in one event after another, with bare enough time to rest until the next lake broke up beneath them, or a pyramid crashed about them, or a great and terrible creature attacked them. She doubted, at this moment, that she would ever find peace again. Not with this Ice-Kin in tow.

The inlet still seemed so far away, no matter how hard they ran. No matter how long her strides were, the fear pushing her forward. She felt slow. Like a huge oaf that had no place being in this situation. Hatyara stumbled. Of course she did! Her new, tiny staff flying from her hand. The little Ice-Kin rolled for several feet before she managed to arrest her forward movement.