This story is being rewritten! The new version, A Price in Memory, can be found here. 

 I highly suggest you read the new version as this one won't be completed. Also, there has been a lot of changes so you won't be able to continue with the other where this one left off.

The tents were already packed up by the tie Y’rid made it back to camp, dragging the carcass of the wolf behind him. His arms burned with effort, only the fact that he had already cleaned the beast, cutting out its stomach and entrails, made it possible for him to get this far.

“Your back, we-“ Kali’s words came to an abrupt end as she turned and saw the wolf he dragged behind him. She looked at a loss for words before she finally turned to him. “Are you okay? Any wounds?”

Y’rid shook his head. “No. I got lucky.”

“Hah!” Red exclaimed as he strode up to them. “Too modest. There is a fire in you. Killing a steelwolf is good work.”

He clapped Y’rid on the back, causing him to drop the corpse and stumble forward a step. Y’rid didn’t bother picking it back up as he made his way over to the campfire, where the last of the night’s embers were just beginning to die out.

Hadi sat next to the pit and stared up at him as he made his way over and sank to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Did you kill that?” Hadi asked, his eyes wide.

Y’rid smiled at him and reached over to the boy’s head before stopping. His hand was still covered in blood. He settled for a quick squeeze of the boy’s shoulder. “Sure did.”

Hadi looked at him for a moment before staring at the corpse of the wolf. “It is so big…”

“You want to go and see it?”

A flash of fear mixed with eagerness passed over the boy’s face.

“…Can I?” Hadi ventured unsurely.

“Of course, come on,” Y’rid said standing up with a groan as his legs protested. He really wanted to stay at the fire, but this was a good opportunity for the boy. Seeing that the beast was indeed dead might help with some of the fears he had been carrying with him.

Y’rid walked behind Hadi as the boy slowly made his way over to the carcass. He stopped before the wolf and quickly glanced at Y’rid then back to the wolf. Slowly with an unsteady hand, he reached out and touched the fur before pulling back. He reached forward again but this time with more confidence and placed his hand on to the beast's side.

“It feels so hard,” Hadi said in amazement.

“A steelwolf’s fur is tough,” Y’rid said, “it is one of the things that makes them so dangerous.”

Hadi stiffened at the word for a moment and looked at Y’rid. He smiled down at the boy before leaning closer. “But if you know what you’re doing, you can take it down.”

“Oh, an expert now, are we?” Holin’s voice reached his ear. He turned to see him and Rhone walked up to them.

“Tell me,” Holin said nudging the beast’s head with his foot, “I thought you preferred a sword. It kind of looks like you decided a rock is more your style.”

Y’rid looked at him. “It snuck up on me, didn’t have time to draw the blade.”

“Ah yes,” Holin said, nodding his head. “Out there in the forest, their silver coats blend in real well with all that green and brown, quite common to mistake one for a tree…”

Red chuckled as Y’rid stared at the man.

“Come on Holin,” Kali said. “He lived his whole life in a city with no training. Taking down a steelwolf without backup is an achievement. Hell, I saw a few veteran guards and hunters fall to them at Riversedge.”

“I’m not diminishing his kill,” Holin said with a smile while raising his hands in defence. “Just looking for room for improvement. And at first glance there appears to be a lot of it, look at that, your thrust pierced a lung but missed the heart. I fear we have grown lax in our training. We haven’t even sparred the last two days.”

Kali gave Holin a flat look.

“You’re set on joining the order huh?” Rhone asked.

Y’rid nodded. He thought it was clear at this point, but something in Rhone’s voice gave away the seriousness the man felt.

Rhone stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Well, let’s skin the wolf and get it onto the cart.” He turned and smirked at Holin. “Since he’s yours Holin, You’ll have to do the honours of showing him how.”

Holin scratched the side of his neck as he looked at the wolf. “…Sure… Well first off, steelwolves are a bit tricky, The fur grows deep into its flesh-“

He stopped and looked up, staring off into the forest.

“What is-“ Kali began but stopped as Holin motioned for her to be silent.

He walked a few steps towards the treeline and tilted his head, staying completely still. The relaxed atmosphere had vanished, replaced by a silent tension as the others focused on him.

“…Something’s heading this way,” Holin said quietly, “something big.”

“Can you tell what?” Rhone asked.

Holin shook his head. “No, it’s not moving fast but those aren’t the movements of something roaming the wild. It’s moving with purpose.” He looked at them, then at the corpse. “I’d wager it’s following the blood.”

Kali’s eyes widened. “You think it’s a gorger?”

Holin nodded, “sounds like one.”

“Another thing that doesn’t belong here,” Rhone muttered under his breath, before raising his voice. “Everyone get ready to move. Kali, throw those packs onto the cart. Red, strap in the d’yar. And leave the wolf here, we don’t need a gorger on our trail.”

Kali and Red sprang into action.

“No,” Holin said. Y’rid turned back to him to see the man staring off into the forest, his hand gripped the sword at his waist, its blade half-drawn. “We can take it. There’s four of us and one of it.”

Rhone spun towards him. “Absolutely not. We don’t have a full team, and I won’t risk injuries weakening us further. Not to mention fighting while trying to protect these two is foolish.”

“I can help,” Y’rid said, a hard edge to his tone. Didn’t he just prove that? He might not be as fast or skilled as them but he could pull his own weight.

“No, you can’t,” Rhone said. “Killing the wolf was good work, though I don’t doubt there was some luck involved. But a gorger is a different game. You’ll just get in the way.”

Y’rid opened his mouth to protest but Holin cut him off.

“He’s right. You won’t be of help… at least not yet.” He said over his shoulder, sliding the blade back into its sheath. He turned around and gave Rhone a thin smile. “So let’s go.”

Reaching out Y’rid took Hadi’s arm, and led him to the cart as Red was strapping in the d’yar. He lifted the boy and placed him on top. Kali quickly threw their packs onto the cart as well before Red slapped the D’yar on the romp sending it towards the road and as he ran alongside it with the others quickly following.

The sounds of frantic bird calls reached Y’rid’s ears alongside a faint thumping of footsteps. He looked back to see a flock rising out of the treetops a short distance into the forest. He watched as a big bird of prey rose above the treeline. It had just risen when a long tendril of flesh shot out and wrapped itself around the bird before pulling it back into the forest. His breath caught in his throat and steps faltered as he stared, unable to trust his eyes.

“What was-“

“Keep going!” Kali shouted and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his daze as she ran down after the others with him in tow.

The sounds of heavy steps were getting nearer now as the group reached the bottom of the hill and turned onto the road. A sharp crack echoed through the air, the sound of snapping wood. Unable to resist, he looked back, and could just make out the outlines of a mass of tendrils above the crest of the hill, writhing in the rays of the morning sun.

Then they passed the trees on the side of the road hiding whatever creature those things belonged to from sight.

***

Y’rid stumbled back as he retreated, almost tripping over the uneven ground. His gaze flickered down for a moment before he looked up again, but the damage was already done. Seizing the chance Holin stepped to the side and swung one of his swords aimed at Y’rid’s chest.

“Don’t look away,” he said as Y’rid spun towards him and raised his bracer to catch the blow. The heavy strike shook his arm as Holin’s second sword darted in in a straight thrust. Y’rid threw himself to the side, rolling on his shoulder before pushing himself up and away, just in time to avoid the follow-up slash from his opponent.

“Don’t block, guide. That thing on your arm isn’t a shield so don’t use it like one.”

The words were followed by Holin as the man closed the distance between them, barely giving Y’rid time to plant his feet. Holin struck at him, but Y’rid expected the attack. He caught the blade on the bracer and guided it upwards and over his head as he ducked underneath it. He stepped in and stabbed forward with his own sword. Holin leaned to the side, allowing the blade to pass him by. The man stepped forward and swung up his knee striking Y’rid’s chin with a loud crack.

His head snapped back and he winced in pain. Acting on instinct he dropped his sword and reached down grasping Holin’s knee. He yanked his arm back throwing the man off balance as he pulled himself forward driving his shoulder into Hoiin’s chest. They tumbled to the ground in a sprawl of limbs.

Holin laughed as he rolled away while Y’rid scrambled to get to his sword. He had just reached it when he saw Holin springing towards him out of the corner of his eye. Knowing he didn’t have time to stand, he swung the blade at the man’s feet hoping to drive him back. Holin jumped over the swing, one boot coming down onto the flat of the blade, pinning it to the ground. Y’rid released the sword and rolled onto his back raising his bracer to fend off the strike he knew was coming as he reached for his dagger. Just barely making it before Holins blade clashed onto the hide that wrapped the bracer. He drew back his arm to stab at Holin’s leg when the sudden touch of cold steel at his throat halted his movements.

Holin grinned at him from above, then sheathed his swords before holding out a hand. “You’re getting better, If I still used one sword you might have had me that time.”

Y’rid glanced at the man’s arm as he took hold of it and pulled himself up. He couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that rose in him as he saw the scar on the man’s forearm. In a month it would barely be visible, but that wouldn’t take away the memory. The first time he had got the better of the man in their sparring. Granted Holin had been way too relaxed for his own good, but that didn’t cause his flesh to heal faster.

That was a week ago. After that Holin had switched to using both his swords. Y’rid had yet to win a second time.

“I just can’t get used to this ‘guiding’, when I see the blade coming my way I want to avoid or block it,” Yrid said as he unwrapped the hide from bracer. The true strength of the bracer was in bringing your opponent closer, opening them up for a strike. But time and again he would find himself switching back to using it as a shield.

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“You're already better at it than I was when I tried it. A few more months and you’ll be using it like you were born with it,” Holin said.

Y’rid nodded as he walked over to Hadi and sat down against the tree next to the boy.

“How did I do?” He asked.

“Good,” Hadi said with a smile.

The boy had taken to watching their sparring ever since they left Watchman’s Point, two weeks ago.

“And me?” Holin asked.

“Hmmm… bad,” the boy said, laughing.

Y’rid chuckled as Holin shook his head in mock despair. He leaned back and rested his head against the trunk of the tree enjoying the cool breeze after the spar.

“I still don’t know why you’re so set on using real swords,” Y’rid said watched Holin inspect his swords for nicks, part of the reason why he wrapped the bracer in hide instead of exposing the steel.

He ran his fingers over the deep cut in the leather on his shoulder. He had gained a few scars here and there from sparring with Holin, but the one on his shoulder was the worst. Granted to him after he couldn’t raise his bracer in time. Just thinking about it made the wound itch. Thankfully the stitches didn’t come loose this time, it seemed like it was finally beginning to heal.

Kali had sewed up the wound with a needle and thread when he first got it, something which he felt quite grateful for considering Red had wanted to give him ‘the desert’s touch’, which amounted to sticking a sword in the fire and pressing the hot blade onto the wound, searing it shut.

“What?” Holin asked as he looked towards him. “You want to swing sticks at each other?”

Y’rid shrugged, “it doesn’t have to be wooden swords, we could have got a pair of blunt blades at Lok. Damaging your sword while sparring seems wasteful.”

“First of all, there is no such thing as a wooden sword. That’s a stick you’re talking about. And second, you will do a lot more sparring and training than actual combat. If you use a ‘training sword’, then you’ll get used to the that blade’s weight and length, instead of the one you’ll stake your life on.

Replacing your sword more often and gaining a few small scars are a lot more preferable to losing your life because you misjudged a strike, wouldn’t you say?”

Y’rid shrugged. It did make sense in a certain way, but going into a fight with a damaged blade and having it break in the middle of it seemed a lot worse.

“Let's head back,” Holin said looking up at the darkening sky. “We can continue this tomorrow.”

Y’rid nodded and pushed himself off the ground. Walking nearly ten hours a day and spending another two training with Holin had begun to put some weight on his previously emaciated frame.

Still too thin for his tastes, but at least he didn’t feel as weak as before.

***

The warm glow of flames welcomed them as they reached the camp, casting shadows along the trees that stretched and swayed in the flickering light. Rhone was talking with Kali at the fire while Red was off to the side, practising with his greataxe.

Y’rid , Hadi and Holin joined the other two by the fire as he watched Red flow through his movements. Each of his steps was heavy but precise as he strode forward while the axe danced in his hands. His swings never-ending, one flowing into the next as he spun the axe in his hands, continuously in motion. The way he handled the weapon made it seem almost weightless as the blade twirled in the air, a sharp contrast to the sound the axe made as it tore through it.

For once he was happy that Holin was his sparring partner. If he tried to block one of those swings he would probably end up with a broken arm.

“You set up traps?” Rhone asked looking at Holin.

The man shook his head. “Not really, we still have more than enough meat from Kali’s korabarr, don’t we? More would just spoil.”

Y’rid looked over to the beast’s corpse lying next to the cart. A korabarr, Holin called it. It looked like a strange mixture of ox and boar. Curling horns and tusks extended out of its thick skull, with a hump on its back pierced through by bone knobs growing out of its spine.

They had found it next to the road the previous day, right where Kali had left it, a single arrow pierced through its eye and into its skull.

“I want to trade a few beast pelts at the next city to regain a bit of the coin we spent on supplies. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a few days’ worth of dried meats. We still have to head through Nightwood. Seeing as you and Kali bring in the food and she’s an archer…”

“Ah,” Holin said, nodding in understanding, “I suppose we could start gathering some if you want, though we could always just make camp earlier and start walking in the night. It’ll only take a day or so to adjust.”

“Let's leave that for when it's truly necessary, three hours of hunting in addition to another three for cooking, that would set us back quite a bit,” Rhone said.

“I’m going to miss the long days,” Red said with a sigh as he walked over. He set the head of the axe to the ground and rested his one arm on the haft.

“I noticed the night setting in sooner,” Y’rid said, “but is…”

He frowned. He wanted to ask why winter seemed such a big deal to them but he couldn’t get to the word. Now that he thought about it, he also couldn’t get remember the word for seasons. He knew of them, but that was it.

He sifted through his inherited memories but nothing came up. In fact, the boy had no concept of such things. Then it struck him. They didn’t have seasons here. What he had at first mistaken for winter from the boy’s memories, when cold winds would blow in from the east and he would almost freeze in the alleyway, were simply colder periods. Cold fronts that lasted for weeks, but they weren’t tied to changing seasons.

Holin chuckled. “I forgot you spent your entire life in Riversend. Must be nice to have that even split between night and day.”

Red nodded as he looked at him.

Even split? He supposed the days weren’t much longer than the night from what he could remember, but it wasn’t that different here. The nights did seem a bit longer but that was the change in… except it wasn’t was it?

“Why are the nights longer than they were a few weeks ago?” Y’rid asked tentatively, still unsure as to how such a thing was possible.

“They grow longer the further north you go and shorter further south,” Kali said.

Y’rid surprise must have shown as Holin grinned. “Wait till we reach Stronghold, by then the night will be twice as long as the day.”

“Really?” Hadi asked doubtfully, looking at Holin as if the man was trying to trick him, a sentiment Y’rid was inclined to share.

Kali smiled at the boy. “Oh yes. If you keep heading north you’ll even reach a place where even the sun does not dare to show its face.”

The boy’s eyes stretched as heard this. He was way too trusting of her in his opinion, even if a few tall tales wouldn’t do harm. But looking at her now he couldn’t see the mischievous twist in her smile that she usually had when telling the boy such things. It really seemed like she believed what she said.

“You saw this?” Y’rid asked.

“Well not personally,” She admitted, “but I-“

“I have,” Rhone said drawing the others’ attention. “Siar’Amni, the Eternal Night.”

“What’s it like?” Kali asked, the hint of excitement in her tone causing Rhone to snort.

“Cold and dark,” He said poking at the fire with a branch to spread out some of the glowing embers to the side. “The ground is covered in ice. No plant life can survive in that, not even vines or firesaps. At least none that we saw. We only made it to the edge before turning back. No wood meant no fire, no warmth and no light.”

Rhone stood up and walked over to the korabarr pulling out his knife as he did so.

“Kale told me he once found an old journal in the library,” Holin said. “One of the old hunter teams apparently made it through. There was no sun by which to measure the time it took, but the one who wrote it kept an eye on the stars and estimated about eighty days of travel, from one end to the next. They only made it thanks to the mage that went with them, and even then only two members of the team survived.”

“Why did they even try that?” Kali asked.

Holin shrugged. “The journal didn’t say.”

“Pilgrimage?” Red suggested. “Deep in Anuneer is the Endless Day. Some say Uldar’s city sits in the heart. Those that go into the Endless day to search for it return after two days. Their skin charred and flesh cooked. Either that or they don’t return. None have made it a third.”

“You said a mage went with them?” Rhone asked as he paused cutting off one of the beast’s legs. “Perhaps they were searching for ruins from the Old Age, some might have survived in that lifeless place.”

“Don’t know about that,” Holin said. “But is the journal is to be believed, then the Night isn’t as lifeless as you might think.”

Y’rid gazed up at the night sky. How would people have survived long enough to build whatever those would be ruins once were, in an environment seemed like it was designed to kill you?

Perhaps one day he’d go and see this Eternal Night and Endless Day for himself. He smiled as he shook his head at the thought.

***

Y’rid sat by the firepit, his back towards the flickering flames. His eyes scanned the dark trees, the glow of the fire just enough to light up the trunks of the nearest ones surrounding the small clearing where they had made camp. He suspected the others would sense any danger approaching them before he did, even if he was the one on watch. Especially with Holin choosing to sleep outside, with his back to a tree rather than in a tent.

He looked up at one of the treetops, the bright star visible to the right of it had moved just a bit. About halfway into his shift, he guessed. The chill of the night was slowly seeping into him, making the warmth at his back seem all the more alluring. He shook his head and took a deep breath, savouring the crisp air as it raced down his lungs.

Standing up as silently as he could, he stretched his arms a few times before walking quietly towards the treeline. The sounds of the forest nightlife reached his ears as the crackling of the flames faded to the background. A rustling through the bushes, a buzzing from an insect and the far-off howl of some beast staking its claim to a small part of the giant forest. These were enough to banish the drowsiness he felt earlier. A reminder that they were most certainly not alone.

He then began a slow circling of the site, careful not to stray too far from the light of the fire. The half-moon and stars gave enough light to not trip over a root or rock, but not quite being enough to pierce through the shadows cast by the trees.

He sighed, this was not the first time he envied Holin’s hearing. Completing his circuit, he walked back to the fire, once more savouring the light and warmth it gave off. Like he did each time he walked around the camp.

At least it’s not raining.

Keeping watch in the rain was even less enjoyable than it sounded. They would have two people on watch at a time then, but of course, that also meant longer shifts and less sleep for everyone. Which was just about the best part of it. The rain would seep into your clothes and skin while simultaneously obstructing your sight and denying you the warmth of a fire.

A shiver ran through him at the very thought of it, and he reached over to throw a few more pieces of wood onto the dying fire. Y’rid turned away from the flames and sat onto the ground a few feet away, on the opposite side from where Holin slept a few meters from the fire, certain that the man would sense if anything came at them from that side.

Now is as good a time as any.

He took a deep breath in preparation for what was to come.

He closed his eyes for a moment and delved into his memories, past those of the time since Riversedge, and past those of the boy whose body he wore. No, what he wanted lay deeper. Into those he knew was his.

Images flashed past him, a few clear but many more obscure and murky, fading away as soon as they came. Gritting his teeth he latched on to one.

He stepped forward, one of the man’s arms were slung over his shoulder, the other with an arrow pierced straight through it, slung over the shoulder of Hen. They had been had been patrolling on the wall when the merchant came riding in like a demon was chasing after him, his face pale from blood loss and twisted in pain.

Already there was a small crowd forming around them as he and Hen half-supported-half-dragged the man the barracks. The man kept repeating a name under his breath that he couldn’t quite make out. Worry showed on the faces of the crowd as they muttered among themselves while others shouted to him for answers. Answers he didn’t have.

Finally, he reached the building. Already he could see his father- no, his captain, striding towards them, his face grim enough to make a stone winch.

“Go to your homes!” The captain shouted at the crowd, the edge in his voice quickly dispersing the majority, though a few of the braver ones stayed.

“What happened?” he asked as he reached them, Thomas and Cor following short on his heels.

“Don’t know, he came riding in and hasn’t been making any sense.”

The captain stepped forward and lightly slapped the man across the face, though lightly might have been the wrong word for a man built like him. The merchant’s head knocked to the side and shut him up before he turned and stared at the man who had slapped him.

“What happened?” The captain repeated.

The man’s eyes were wide. “Bandits. They were upon us before we could do anything. Mela- Oh gods, she-“

“Where and how many?”

The man seemed taken aback by the question but the look in the captain’s eyes left no room for debate.

“Passed the old bridge, a dozen, maybe more.” His voice broke as he shook his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Tom, get him to the healer. Cor go find Hano. Tell him we have need of him and his hounds.” He turned around to look at the gathering group of guards as more started to appear, decked out in armour that had seen better days, their expressions a mixture of anger and fear.

“Listen up men!” The captain shouted as he stared in the eyes of the guardsmen. “It seems a group of misbegotten wretches have taken a liking to our town. They think they can take what they want without any consequences. Today they settled for a merchant’s caravan. Tomorrow they might set their sight on your wives and daughters. Now tell me, would you be able to call yourselves guards if your family has to fear for their safety everytime they step outside these walls?”

He could see the captain’s words take effect, as the thought of their loved ones in danger passed through the other guards’ minds. As the thought of Reena fleeing from a group of armed men passed through his. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. He could see the determination take hold on the guards’ faces as he was sure it showed on his.

“I didn’t think so. We’re guards because we protect that which we care about. And now that they are in danger, it is time for us to do so.” The captain's voice was met with nods as the baying of hounds sounded in the distance, quickly approaching.

The captain turned to him, his stony expression flickered for a moment as he laid a hand on his shoulder. ”Remember what I taught-“

Y’rid stifled a grunt as mind recoiled, feeling like he had run headfirst into a stone wall. He reached out and stabilised himself with an arm to keep from toppling over, while his other hand clutched the side of his head.

He slowly released the shaky breath he had been holding before taking in another one.

Focus on breathing.

Slowly he felt his head begin to clear as the pounding in it began to settle. For the past few nights, he had been trying to regain what pieces of his old life he could. More often than not he just ended up with a headache, but sometimes he got something back, an image or a scene.

Tonight he had got more than he expected but the price seemed to be getting steeper as well, the headaches getting worse. This time, at least, he had something to show for his efforts. And one thing stood out from the rest.

Reena. Black hair with a striking resemblance to the girl he saw in his memories weeks ago. Her mother?

A first he had thought his memories were simply missing, maybe even blocked. He had hoped that they would clear up in time. But the more he tried to retrieve the more confused he became. The memories weren’t complete. It seemed as though they were torn apart and all he could do was to pick up a piece here and there. Whenever he tried to follow one to its conclusion it would end in pain.

He looked down at his hands, at the slight tremor running through them. It scared him. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from trying to get more. To understand.

But he couldn’t remember memories he didn’t have, could he?

He shook his head and stood up. He began walking to the edge of the perimeter to do another sweep of the surroundings. This, at least, was something that didn’t require answers he didn’t have.