Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

The weather changed. Cold creeped through the ground, through the soles of my thin silver shoes and up my legs. Chilly wind hugged me, making my teeth chatter. Thick fog lingered near the ground and I barely saw where I was heading.

We were supposed to meet a man who would guard our horses while we visited the Woods of Loria. Nickeltinker swore he was a trustworthy fellow.

Which I sincerely doubted.

The donkey walked beside me, offering a deeply disturbed gaze every now and then, like he tried to communicate with me. But he followed either way and I thought he was a brave little creature.

Air became damper the further we walked and soon, I was walking through slimy, squishy mud. Disgust made the fine hairs all over my body lift. I shivered involuntarily, squeezing the fur coat. My silver shoes were probably ruined.

“We’re almost there.” Danilo’s voice reached me. The fog was so thick I couldn’t even see him.

“Wish we weren’t.” Nickeltinker appeared next to me, green of his skin turning pale.

“Uh-huh.” Torvald murmured. “Loria bad.”

“She’s not supposed to be.” Rixen’s voice travelled from behind. “She’s supposed to be a lively demigoddess.”

“Maybe this is her definition of lively.” I murmured.

Nickeltinker chuckled, “We should have brought a dictionary, then.”

“It’s the mage.” Danilo cut in. “His presence is killing the ground.”

Before anyone could muster a response, my donkey halted abruptly. His hooves dug in the ground, he let out a loud, stubborn bray and wouldn’t budge. I frowned and pulled at the reins, but he shook his large head and looked at me pointedly.

“Alright, this one won’t move.”

Rixen came closer, “Donkeys are amazing creatures, you know? If the donkey won’t go, the man shouldn’t either.”

An unnatural sense of fear made my blood run cold.

“What do you mean?”

Nickeltinker stopped, too, “He means that it’s probably not safe from here on out. I vote we listen to the donkey and turn around.”

Rixen raised his eyebrow, “King Bernard will not give you a raise if you quit now.”

Nick let out sigh, “Fine, we’re going.”

Rustling leaves caught my attention and my head snapped ahead, but the fog was too thick to see. The men around me drew their swords. Except Torvald, he had an axe.

A green creature came forward with his hands in the air, “Wait! I come in peace. Nick, it’s me!”

Nickeltinker dropped his knife, “Ratcatcher! Sorry, we’re all a little jumpy.”

The green-skinned man that stepped out was older and uglier than Nickeltinker, but his eyes were still quite huge and doll-like and his eyelashes fairly long. More wrinkles decorated his green skin and there seemed to be a permanent frown etched on his lips. He wore beige rags.

“So, you’re going to visit the Woods of Loria.” Ratcatcher came closer to our horses, his eyes trailing over bags we had there. “It’s a few hours walk to the heart of the forest.”

“Have you been there?” Danilo asked.

Ratcatcher eyed Danilo with certain impertinence, “Sir Danilo of Danth, I’ve heard stories about you. Slaughtering your King’s enemies and crying afterwards for all the innocent souls that died as casualties to the war you’ve started.”

Nickeltinker’s eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, while Danilo drew out his sword again. Rixen rolled his eyes and I moved away. Torvald grunted.

“Say that again, rat!”

“Oh, Goddess.” I whined and leaned against the donkey. “You see this, Fluffy?”

The donkey brayed.

“Oh, what are you going to do?” Ratcatcher sneered. “Kill me? Good luck keeping your horses while you traverse through the forest. There’s all kinds of vile creatures lingering around the Woods of Loria who would gladly steal everything you have.”

“Danilo, put the sword down.” Rixen whined. “God knows what’s waiting inside the forest, we don’t want your blade becoming blunt too soon.”

“He offended me.” Danilo grunted.

“How about we all offend you?” Rixen suggested. “Then your anger will disperse between all of us and we’ll continue on our merry way.”

Danilo’s eyes never left Ratcatcher, “Fine. Let us go.”

“As promised,” Rixen walked to the green-skinned man, “A Bastian copper coin and a flagon of ale. And something to eat while you wait for us.”

I eyed the leftover boar I had properly seasoned, “And what am I going to eat?”

Rixen grinned, “I’m sure there’s plenty of berries in the forest.”

I clicked my tongue, “I’m sure I hate you.”

Ratcatcher licked his lips, “You’re visiting Ace, aren’t you?”

“Ace?” Nickeltinker turned around.

“The mage.” The other floran spoke. “Ace. He doesn’t like guests.”

“Rat, have you been there?” Nickeltinker asked.

“No.” Rat shook his head. “But I’ve seen people come in, wanting to find him and ask for favours. Those that came back claimed they gave up in the middle of the journey. Some reached his cabin but he shooed them away.”

“Wonderful.” I muttered.

Danilo was already way ahead, and Torvald and Rixen followed. Nickeltinker and I shared a glance.

“You should know,” Ratcatcher said as we turned to walk away, “A lot of people entered the Woods of Loria over the years, most didn’t come back.”

Nickeltinker smiled, “Do not scare the lady, Rat.” And he pulled me away from the green-skinned man.

Too late for that, I thought as we moved along the fog-covered path. Fluffy was left behind with all the other horses. His worried expression followed me for a while and I wondered whether he felt something I couldn’t sense.

Pushing down the awakening fear, I hurried down the path. After a couple of minutes, the path finally widened.

Danilo turned around, “We’re here, Woods of Loria.”

Men walked ahead, lining up in front of a black chasm separating the main land from the thick forest on the other plateau. The trees were dark and tall and thick. Pines and sprees and furs. I couldn’t see through nor beyond.

It seemed as if the forest went on forever. There was only one way through and that was the dark path across the bridge through tree-made door. Branches and leaves twisted out of the way, creating a dark passageway.

A cracked, unstable stone bridge led over the dark, deep chasm underneath our feet, which was at least twenty meters wide. The abyss went on and on and on, making me dizzy each time I dared to look down. Fear of heights and the fear of dark places both intertwined until I was ready to bolt, damned be the world.

Danilo approached me and offered a hand, “Your Grace? Are you okay?”

I shook my head, “I think I’m going to throw up.”

“Aim for the abyss.” Rixen murmured.

“Hey, what’s that on the door?” Nickeltinker came closer, his tiny feet clinging to the edge of the cliff, a couple of small rocks falling off into the dark depths.

I wanted to grab him and pull him back.

Danilo squinted, “There’s something hanging off the door.”

I tried to see, but the grey and black mixed together and I couldn’t even make out where the branches stopped and leaves began.

“Alright.” Rixen stepped on the stony bridge the first. “Let’s go.”

The bridge looked unstable. It was narrow and had no fence. Nickeltinker went right after Rixen and Danilo and I followed. Torvald was the last and he did not seem to be afraid. Danilo held my hand tightly and I was positive he’d pull me back up if I slipped and fell to my death. Still, looking down wasn’t a preferable option.

Wind whooshed through my thin dress as I walked slowly over the bridge. The moist fog made the stone slippery and my silver shoes weren’t made for this weather. Panic surged through me. Danilo’s large palm offered no comfort as my heart soared through my throat.

Rixen suddenly stopped, “Irina, breathe.”

Primary confusion dissipated as I realised my fear pulled him in my mind. There was no way he could cross this bridge jumping from my mind to his.

The group looked at us strangely and even Danilo frowned, but there was no time for explanations. Instead, I listened. I took in a deep, slow breath and waited for the panic to leave. Danilo held me. I wouldn’t fall.

He held me.

He was strong enough to pull me back up if I slipped.

Rixen continued down the bridge and I assumed he either managed to push me out or I dimmed down my fear enough to release him from my mind’s grip.

Breathing deeply and holding onto Danilo, I managed to cross more than half of the bridge.

“Fuck.” Rixen muttered as he reached the other side.

Nickeltinker followed him and chuckled, “Isn’t that spectacular?”

“What?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“These are birds.” Nick turned around and pointed at the door. “Dead birds are hanging off the door.”

Nausea came over me. My limbs went numb. Danilo held me tightly.

Breathe.

Slowly and carefully, we crossed the bridge. As soon as the ground beneath my feet felt stable, I looked up at the birds.

Dead birds, pigeons, goshawks, crows and ravens, were impaled on tiny sticks, with letters in their beaks. Stench of rotting flesh assaulted my nostrils and I breathed in on my mouth, but the smell felt potent even on my tongue.

Some bird bodies were half decomposed, others were fresh. Pieces of bird flesh clung to the bones. Bulging eyes stared at me, as if stuck in the rotting body, begging to be released.

Bird bones were scattered all over the floor.

I had to swallow the bile rising up to my throat.

Rixen let out a laugh, “What a devious son of a bitch.”

“He killed all the birds.” Danilo mumbled, his wide eyes still taking in the sight.

Nickeltinker tore one letter from the bird’s beak, “Now, that’s how you send a message. He didn’t even read the letters. Seals are still on.”

“Why are we even meeting this man?” I whined.

Rixen chuckled, “Of all the mages, he’s most likely to help.”

“I can tell from the warm welcome he’s arranged for us.” I mumbled, trying not to step on a dead bird.

“Alright, let us go.” Danilo walked ahead. “That green-skinned goblin said it’s going to take a few hours to reach the heart of the forest. We must hurry while we still have daylight.”

I glanced at the dark skies, “It’s day?”

“Ugh, quiet.” Torvald mumbled and for a moment I thought he was actually expressing dissatisfaction, but when I looked at the brute, he was standing still, glancing at the forest.

“What is it?” Rixen asked.

“Quiet, hmm.” Torvald’s large, empty eyes settled on the shadowman, full of anguish. “Silence.”

Nickeltinker frowned. Rixen glanced around. The rest of us stopped breathing. The forest was unnaturally quiet. Nothing moved, nothing rustled. Not even the bug on the ground.

Nothing but darkness awaited between the huge trees.

“I do not like this one bit.” Nickeltinker said. “I’m used to bustling crowds, you know? Silence scares me.”

“It’s too quiet.” Danilo murmured. “For a forest.”

Rixen walked ahead, “It just means we’re going to have to be even quieter.”

“We might as well hold our breath until we reach the mage, then.” I held onto Danilo’s arm again.

He made me feel somewhat safer, but after witnessing this dreadful silence, I doubted I would feel completely safe ever again.

Nickeltinker entered the forest after Rixen, “Well, there’s no other way but forward.”

“Uh, yes, there is.” I mumbled. “Backward.”

Nick chuckled, “You can wait with the horses, Princess.”

“No way.” I shook my head. “That friend of yours does not look like good company.”

Danilo and I entered the forest and darkness settled over us. Huge trees loomed over our heads, blocking the remaining light hidden somewhere behind the thick clouds. Our footsteps echoed through the forest, too loud for the awful silence.

Wave of coldness washed over me.

I turned around one more time, suddenly longing for the frightening forest we left behind. On instinct, I pulled out the emerald pendant my mother gave me.

My brother had said that if the pendant glowed green, I was safe.

Right now, it glowed red.