Shadows

“What’s all that about?” asked Angie, her heart immediately pumping ten to the dozen. Robert climbed to his feet next to her and she spun round to see where the sun was in the sky.

It wasn’t.

During the time Robert had been convulsed on the ground holding onto the Orb it had dipped below the sea and now the dark and threatening night drew in around them.

Angie hobbled back towards the town, trying to look down at the cliff path they had taken up to Clifftop. Did the Skadirr need to take the path, or could it just float up through the shadows? thought Angie anxiously. What if it was already up here, and that’s what the noise from the town was? She couldn’t afford to risk it – she’d been lucky escaping the Skadirr before, and wasn’t sure her luck would hold up a second time.

“We have to get out of here, now!” she cried back to Robert, and thankfully the boy was listening. He stooped down to pick up the Orb and her heart stopped for a moment as his fingers touched it again. Once more however, he was left unscathed. “You’ll have to carry it, the box is broken and I can’t touch it.” Angie instructed.

Although that said, I’ve never tried. Maybe I could touch it and be okay? She lingered over the thought for a moment, but thought better not to risk it.

“W-where are we going?” asked Robert, as he fell in step with Angie.

“Away!” Angie replied. “If you still want to come with me, that is?” Angie asked, pausing for a moment and looking up into Robert’s eyes. They were impassive, and she struggled to read what was going on behind them.

“No,” he said eventually, and Angie felt her heart fall. She sighed and hung her head.

“Fair enough,” she nodded. “That’s more than fair after what I’ve done. I wouldn’t want you to risk your life for me, anyway. If you, um, just put the Orb in the pouch on my belt I’ll, um, well I’m sure I’ll find a way to safely carry it.” Angie was aware she was rambling and trying to avoid Robert’s eyes. For a moment she thought she might have had a friend through this, but then she’d stupidly gone and stepped over the line and now-

“Oh no, I was g-going to keep the Orb.”

“What?” Angie gaped.

“It’s just, you were only injured yesterday r-really, and I can see you’re still not finding walking that easy. I was going to carry the Orb and t-take it as far as I could, and then you could catch up when you’re b-better?”

Angie was silent. She watched as Robert’s eyes flitted back and forth, never quite making eye contact with her.

“What did I do to deserve you?” she breathed. Robert’s face fell and his shoulders dropped.

“I’m s-sorry, I know, people have been telling me that all my l-life-” Angie stopped him with a hand on his shoulder that made the boy jump. He looked up into her eyes, which she was struggling to keep from watering.

“Not like that.” She smiled. “You’d honestly risk your life for someone you only met the other day? And for something you said you don’t really believe in?” Angie was fairly certain Robert had more than friendship on his mind, but decided not to comment on it again. In Angie’s experience the only time men did such blatantly stupid things was when they were trying to impress someone they liked. Then again this was Robert, thought Angie, so anything goes.

“I had a r-recent education on the subject,” Robert replied. “B-but I would have done this anyway… because we’re friends.”

“I don’t think that’s how friendship works, Robert,” Angie smiled kindly. “We don’t get to just decide people are our friends. There needs to be time for a friendship to build…” she trailed off. “But that said, who am I to argue? I’d be lucky to have you as a friend.”

There was screaming from behind, and their heads snapped round.

“R-right,” said Robert purposefully, “I’ll take the road down the western side of Clifftop, and do my best to move quickly. You’d b-best stay out sight of the Skadirr.”

“Like hell I will,” growled Angie, fire rising up in her again. “If you’re risking your life then who am I to do any less? Even if you do leave now the Skadirr will catch up with you soon enough, so I’m going to try and buy you some time.”

“B-but how? It only tracks the aura from magical objects like the Orb, it won’t be interested in you!”

“Well, that’s true, but I’ve been carrying it around for a day so hopefully I should have some of the residue of the aura left on me. Or on the box!” Angie smiled, holding up the battered and broken remains of the box that had been carrying the Orb. “Is that how it works?”

“I d-don’t know.”

“No, me neither. But even if it’s not, I’ll cause enough of a distraction, believe me. You said the Skadirr was controlled by someone else? Maybe if I can trick them into thinking I still have the Orb the Skadirr will follow me?”

“I t-think this is a rather b-bad plan.”

“So you’ve told me before. Do you have a better one?”

“Well, no.”

“Well, then – get running!”

It was now or never. The Skadirr’s master had driven it to the point of exhaustion, and its essence was slipping away from it by the moment. It didn’t have to last much longer in this world though, he thought. He’d been overjoyed when he’d noticed the magical trail had slowed to a halt, and knew he would get no better time to catch up to that damnable girl and the Orb. It was his by right, not hers!

He’d driven the Skadirr cautiously through the shaded forests during the afternoon, a risky feat but one that allowed him to close the distance between his servant and his prize. Now that the sun had dropped below the horizon the Skadirr was able to move freely again, and it scaled the cliff face at speed, darting between the deep shadows of crevices and crannies until it burst forth in a display of tenebrous menace into the village of Clifftop.

Villagers screamed at the sight of the shadow-clad spectre stalking their streets, but the Skadirr’s master cared not for their lamentation. He felt the Skadirr trying to tug away from his will to attack the villagers, but he held it firm in his mad, determined grip. There was only one who needed to die this night – the red headed girl…

“Miss Angie! What are you doing?” cried Godfrey as he spotted the girl striding as quickly as she could away from the wagons. “There’s something here, in the village! Some shadow creature! Is that what’s tracking you?”

“It is,” Angie nodded, continuing to walk towards the focus of the screaming.

“Well why are you heading towards it then? It wants to kill you!”

“Not if I kill it first,” Angie growled.

“I appreciate your pluck miss, but how do you kill a shadow? Look, I know I said I’d be leaving at the first sign of trouble but I can’t let you fight that thing. Jump in the wagon, we’ll be off. Take a horse, anything, just get out of here – I’ll help how I can!”

“I very much appreciate that Mr Godfrey, but I’m not running. And I’d stay away from that wagon for now if I were you. If you want to help though, you can do one thing for me.”

“What?”

“If this all goes wrong, and I die,” Angie gulped, “then I need you to keep heading to Alderbay, and pick Robert up on the way. The Orb’s his burden to bear if I die. Oh,” said Angie, as if as an afterthought, “and please make sure this gambeson and crook gets back to Mrs Gambol as well. Thank you.”

“That’s not what I meant when I said I’d help!” Godfrey called after Angie as she marched towards the town centre. He paced back and forth on the spot for a moment, his gaze darting between the wagons and back towards Angie. “Oh, damn it!” he exclaimed, and followed after her.

Robert dropped down off the ledge and continued jogging on down the road. Much as he wanted to be running, he was well aware that if he tried to run on the loose stone he could easily fall and end up knocking himself unconscious. Besides, he wasn’t even sure if he could keep up a run for very long, but a mild jog seemed a sensible choice of speed for long distance. Despite this, he couldn’t help but feel no-one in life threatening danger would ever jog away from their pursuer.

He tried upping the pace but his shoes lost grip on the gravel and he nearly went head first over the side of one of the sharp bends in the road. A ten foot dive onto sharp rocks was not in the plan, so Robert slowed back down to his jog.

Even though Angie had said she was going to try and buy him some time, which he was very grateful for, he couldn’t help but think whatever she did, you could only buy so much time against an unstoppable deadly shadow. Logic had dictated that him setting off on his own with the Orb had been the most sensible choice and had the best outcome for getting the Orb far away, but he couldn’t help but wish Angie had been able to come with him. He sincerely hoped she wouldn’t die. Should he go back and try and help her? The thought was completely illogical and defeated the purpose of both of their roles, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart tugging him back.

She’d read his diary, but had still wanted to be friends with him. That was a fact Robert was struggling to accept, and felt that he must have misunderstood the situation. No-one who’d read his diary would still care about him, surely? That said, it had seemed like she was concerned when he’d been unconscious on the floor with the Orb. Maybe that had been more concern for the Orb. Making sure he hadn’t damaged it or something like that.

But then she’d said: ‘What did I do to deserve you?’, but not in the way Robert was used to, so what was that supposed to mean?

Robert realised as he thought about his diary that he’d left his bag with it and all his possessions back on the wagon. He groaned – there’d been some of his favourite books in there, along with some candles and his razor. He knew Mr Colywick had packed a small bottle of Mrs Colywick’s Special in there too, and though he knew he’d never drink it he’d appreciated the gesture.

Robert nearly slipped again, and, rather uncharacteristically, a curse flew forth from his lips.[25] He looked around and surveyed his surroundings. Running perpendicular to the steep path down was hilly grassland that led up to the thick forests surrounding the base of Mt Ares. Flicking through the pages of his mind, Robert recalled that Mt Ares had been rumoured to be a centre of magic way back before the Great Magick Cull of 139 AU. Maybe if there was enough residual magic left behind in the woods, it would confuse the Skadirr enough for it to lose the scent of him and the Orb?

Did it work that way though? Robert thought. Angie had asked if the magical auras behaved like scents, and Robert didn’t know. He was so used to being able to dredge up some fact or answer from one of the many books he’d read, but this was all new territory.

Robert weighed up his options in his mind. He could continue trying to make his way down the unsteady path at a slow jog, in which case the Skadirr would definitely catch him, or he could try and make his way into the forests and hope his inkling about magical residue was right, in which case the Skadirr would only most probably catch him.

Robert was only mildly surprised at how unafraid he was knowing he was faced with almost certain death. It had to happen to everyone at the end of the day, so why should it be something worth worrying about? As he heard more screams from the village of Clifftop above him, Robert began to wonder if people were more worried about the pain of death as opposed to the actual ending of it all. It was probably too late to ask anyone.

He wondered if Angie was afraid now, heading off to fight the Skadirr. From what he’d learnt from her over the past day she seemed to be someone who wouldn’t be afraid of facing anything, but when he thought back to the look on her face when Verne had been murdered in his vision, he reconsidered.

Angie had said earlier that he had been brave to help out when the bandit leader had been threatening her, but Robert wasn’t so sure. He was fairly certain you had to be afraid to be brave. He’d been afraid for her wellbeing though, so did that count?

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Robert re-evaluated his two options. He was used to trusting his mind in matters like these, but as his mind was drawing a blank in this case he trusted his heart, and began to run towards the forests.

Angie was trying her best not to show her panic, but she was acutely aware her hands were shaking, the crook vibrating in her grip. She had to do this, though. She had to face the Skadirr, to buy Robert time and to get vengeance for Verne. She only had half a plan and was not sure at all if it would work. If it did work she’d have some serious bills to pay, but if it didn’t… well, best not to think about that now, Angie grimaced.

“What’s your plan, miss?” asked Godfrey, appearing by her side and making her leap out of her skin.

“Mr Godfrey!” she yelped. “I didn’t ask you to come with me!”

“I know, but I couldn’t let you stride off to fight this thing alone. I’d never forgive myself.”

“Well, what I’m worried about is that if you come with you’ll never get the chance to never forgive yourself, so I’d really rather you not come with!”

“Couldn’t do that miss!”

Angie groaned exasperatedly. She didn’t have time for this! The screaming was so close now, and she knew the Skadirr couldn’t be far away.

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude Mr Godfrey but I’ve seen this thing kill trained mercenaries without trying. I am fairly certain I’m going to die here, and I’m not having someone else’s death on my conscience! Too many people have died!”

“I’m not proposing that I’ll go fight it Miss Angie, I’m not stupid!” Godfrey replied. “But I’m no coward either, and if I can help you with your plan at all, I will.”

Angie sighed slightly, and through the panicked haze of her mind she grabbed onto an idea.

“Okay, thank you. I’m sorry. If you want to help, I need you to get a torch and head back to your wagon, but don’t whatever you do take the torch too near the wagon.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s going to be very flammable.”

“You’re planning on burning it down?” Godfrey gasped, his mouth dropping open.

“In a way,” nodded Angie.

“But I’ve not even paid it off yet!”

“Look, the only two things I know work on the Skadirr are light and magic. I don’t have magic, so I’m making do.”

“Yes, yes, of course,” gabbled Godfrey, knowing he was being foolishly petty. “Just I only gave it a new coat of paint for the festival the other day…”

“Mr Godfrey!” shouted Angie, snapping him out of his daze. “I’m planning on luring the creature to the wagon. When I give the signal, I want you to chuck the torch at the wagon and dive back, got it?”

“What’s the signal?”

She didn’t get a chance to reply, as at that moment a dark, coiling mass of shadow crept around the corner of a nearby house. The creature’s hood was rippling and flitting forwards and backwards looking for its prey, but hadn’t seemed to notice Angie yet.

“Mr Godfrey!” she hissed. “Take up your position, and be ready for my signal. You’ll know what it is,” she added, and the man nodded and began to run back towards his wagon. Angie took a deep breath, and stepped forwards slowly and unsteadily, the crook taking her weight.

Robert jogged through the forests, jumping over fallen branches and tree roots. He was out of breath and his side was stinging, but he kept powering along. From watching the history of the Orb he knew Angie had run twice as hard for much further last night, and he wouldn’t let her down by stopping now. He jumped gingerly around a tree stump but his feet didn’t connect with the ground when he expected, and he dropped down into a dip in the forest floor. His bowtie came loose, the faded red and gold material getting lost amongst the dirt.

Getting to his feet and shaking grass and leaf mould off his jacket, he ran on. Sweat dripped from his forehead and his breaths grew shaky and dry, but he couldn’t stop. He had no idea how Angie was getting on against the Skadirr, or even if she was still alive. All he knew now was that he had to keep running, he had to get the Orb as far away from the creature as possible.

Who was controlling the Skadirr? Robert thought as he squinted through the darkness, trying to find the best way to go. Who had the sent the merchants to get the Orb in the first place, and why? Maybe they didn’t have evil intentions for the Orb – maybe they just wanted to put it in a museum, or look at it? Robert yelped as he missed his footing in the dark and fell flat on his face again.

Concentrate, he groaned to himself, gritting his teeth and picking himself up again. Maybe whoever sent the merchants had innocent motives, but whoever sent the Skadirr most certainly didn’t. Anyone willing to kill indiscriminately for the Orb was not going to be the type of person to be reasoned with over a cup of tea, thought Robert. What he’d give for a cup of tea…

Robert fell over again and he felt the Orb fly out of his hands and roll across the forest floor. He gasped and reached out to grab it, but despite his fingers wrapping around it it refused to budge. Looking up Robert saw that resting atop the Orb, securely stopping it from moving, was a fur-clad foot.

“Hey, you!” Angie shouted. As opening battle cries went there have been more intimidating ones, but it would have been difficult to come up with one more direct and to the point. The hood of the Skadirr whipped round to face Angie, who was stood firm, staring it down. She reached deep inside and called upon all her energy and anger – there wasn’t much energy left, but her anger more than made up for it. She’d avenge Verne or die trying.

There she was! The Skadirr’s master grinned, watching through his servant’s eyes. There was the girl that had evaded him, resting weakly on – the man scoffed – was that a shepherd’s crook? How pitiful. The sea captain had run and hidden from him for weeks, but this pathetic little girl hadn’t even lasted a full day. And now she was going to die, like all the others before her.

“You want the Orb?” she shouted, holding up a small battered wooden box in her hand. The Skadirr sniffed the air to be certain of the girl’s claim, and sure enough sensed the powerful magical aura it had been expecting. She had run and hidden from him only to now turn and practically hand it to him? Was she so dense as to hope for mercy?

Part of him suspected a trap, but he doubted whatever the girl could muster would be able to harm the Skadirr anyway. He urged the creature forward and dark, billowy shadows rolled out in front of it as it stalked towards its prey. The Skadirr’s master smiled, practically salivating at how close he finally was to his prize. He could already feel it in his hands; he could sense its power coursing through him.

The girl turned and began to run, but it was at a pitiful speed and she was relying on the crook for stability. The Skadirr’s master almost wanted to laugh. He could feel the Skadirr wanting to dart forward, to envelop its prey and slay the girl, but he reined it back. He would let the girl try and escape, let her try whatever pathetic countermeasures she might have put into place, and then, once her hope was gone, he would let the Skadirr kill her. By running she had put him through another day of torment. This time her running would only prolong her own torment.

Despite himself, the Skadirr’s master had to admire the girl’s determination. Such a pitiful specimen, with no hope of survival, but still she kept going. She half reminded him of himself when he was younger. He had no intention of letting her get older.

It was playing with her, Angie thought. It had moved with lightning speed back in Verne’s cabin, but now it just slowly followed behind her, a slow, unstoppable embrace of darkness and death. Any minute the Skadirr could strike out and end her life, but for some reason it didn’t. Despite looking more wisp-like and less defined around the outline of its terrifying silhouette, Angie had no doubt it still had more than enough strength to overwhelm her and snuff out her life like a low-burning candle.

So it was definitely playing with her. It reminded her of Sapphire, Mrs Gable’s cat, who would sometimes trap a mouse and play with it, making it think it had a chance of escape before pouncing and killing it ruthlessly.

“Do you think you’ve caught a mouse?” Angie spat back at the Skadirr, hoping its master could hear her venomous tones. “Do you think I’m just going to roll over and die?” She was running out of breath now, her leg was on fire with pain, but she wasn’t far from Godfrey’s wagon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him standing ready with a lit torch.

“You killed my friend!” Angie screamed. “You killed Verne! He might not have been perfect, but he was the closest thing I had to a father, and he was perfect enough for me!”

Angie took several more laboured steps and nearly collapsed under her own weight. She breathed deep, and her lungs filled with a pungent tang wafting from the wagon.

“I hope you can hear me, whoever’s controlling this creature!” she roared, her throat like razors and her words like spikes. “Because I’m going to find you! Once I’ve destroyed your pet here, I’m coming to find you, and I’m going to kill you! This is only the start of it!”

Angie dropped the crook and leapt with all her might into the back of the wagon. As she rolled onto the wooden slats the overpowering stench of the bottle of Mrs Colywick’s Special she’d coated the wagon with burnt her nostrils, and she choked as the acrid smell filled her lungs. The Skadirr flowed up into the back of the wagon after her, fear and death descending towards her like the dreaded cloak of night.

“Now, Godfrey!” Angie cried, and she caught the blur of a flaming torch hit the cloth of the wagon covering. It burst into flames with fearsome speed as she kept rolling, using her momentum to exit through to the front of the wagon and back off onto the hard ground where she landed with a painful thud.

She tried to turn and stand but was thrown flat by the force of the blast as the alcohol ignited with an almighty whoosh behind her. Angie tucked herself up close into a ball and screwed her eyes tightly shut, but the blazing white light and the searing heat of the fireball exploding still engulfed and washed over her. There was a hideous, wretched screeching from within the heart of the inferno that disappeared in the roar of the flames.

When they eventually died down, all that remained of the wagon was smouldering ash and melted, twisted iron.

The image on the scrying disc faded and died. The Skadirr’s master sat in silence for a few seconds, before he slammed his fists down on the table and bellowed foul curses to the sky, his rage boiling over in a furious explosion rivalling that of the fireball that had just claimed his servant.

“This is only the start of it indeed, girl…”

[25] However, characteristically for Robert, it was a curse out of a book about ancient Stormlands slang so obscure that probably no-one else in the world knew what he’d said. Sounded rude, though.