Thea leaned over the table, towel in hand, and wiped it clean of crumbs and droplets of water, wine and ale. The tavern’s common room was nearly empty. The last of the lunch crowd was finishing up and making their exit. With all the extra work to be done, workers and laymen alike had less time to sit and lounge the afternoon away at the tavern bar.
Thea stacked the table’s two dirty plates, piled the forks and knives on top and picked them up with her towel-free hand. Her father stood behind the bar, leaning with one hand while he wiped the surface down with his own towel. He gave her a wink as she walked past toward the kitchen. She couldn’t help but smile back. Despite the aches in his old bones, he never lost his sense of humor.
A quick kick to the bottom of the kitchen door swung it easily open on oiled hinges. She carried darted through with her load, clearing the door before it had time to swing closed. She paused at the large sink for a moment, sighing at the mountain of dirty dishes piled in and beside it. With the busboys pulled away to help their own families, Thea and her father were trying to run the entire place themselves. They were struggling to keep up. She had a busy afternoon ahead of her, getting the place ready for the dinner crowd. She found a stable place in the heap to set these latest dishes without upsetting the whole pile and headed back out to the common room.
As she stepped through the door, she saw that more company had arrived. Sarys, the town councilman, leaned casually at the bar talking to her father. His two young boys stood a short distance behind him, pouting, clearly unhappy to be there.
“Thanks Walter,” Sarys was saying to her father. “You know I wouldn’t ask if we weren’t in a real bind here.”
“I know. Just so long as we can keep things moving here. Don’t keep her away too long,” Walter replied.
Thea stepped behind the bar, eyeing Sarys suspiciously.
“What are you volunteering me for, Dad?” she asked, still eyeing Sarys with good-natured mock hostility.
“Nothing sweetheart. Sarys just wants to ask a favor. I’ve long since given up trying to order you to do anything.” She caught him smiling at her out of the corner of her eye.
“Listen Thea. We need to get Trey back here. He’s got the fastest horses, he travels the road the most, and the people in Tameron like him. If he won’t come help us direct the repairs, we need him to go ask for aid. You know he’s too stubborn to listen to me.”
“Math knows him better than I do. Why not ask him? You know Dad and I are running ragged trying to keep things going here,” she said.
“I already asked your future brother in law,” he answered, eyes twinkling. “He’s actually heading over there now. But I know how Margaret takes to you. Might help convince him if you get the wife on our side, too.”
“I would, Sarys,” she replied, “but there’s just no way I can leave in the middle of the day.”
“I know. That’s what they’re here for,” he said, motioning to the scowling boys. “Henry, Peter. Get to work. Now,” he ordered. “The dishes will need to be washed by dinner time.” He was firm, he wasn't angry. Though young, the boys were old enough to understand the need to help out after a disaster. They shuffled off to the kitchen, sullen looks still stuck to their faces.
“It’ll take ‘til evening to get out there and back. The boys going to cook, too?” Thea asked.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Sarys smiled. Walter reached under the bar and came up with a folded apron, which he slid across the bar to Sarys. Sarys shook it out and tied it around his waist. “I’ll pull double duty until you get back. But you’d better hurry, I’m a horrible cook,” he winked.
Not exactly true, thought Thea. He was, after all, the son of a baker. He’d handle the kitchen just fine.
She sighed again, untying her own apron. “Fine, I’ll go.”
“Thank you,” Sarys said. “This really is a big help.”
She set her apron down behind the bar and took a quick look around the room, checking for anything that needed immediate attention. Not seeing anything urgent, she kissed her father on the cheek and headed out the front door. Competent or not, she wanted to leave the tavern in the hands of two young boys and an inexperienced councilman for as little time as possible.
Mrs. Greenway’s place was on the way out of town, and she hoped to catch Rai if he was still there. They hadn’t gotten much time together over the past two weeks, so she welcomed the excuse to give him a chance to steal a quick kiss. Or to steal one of her own if she managed to sneak up on him.
The two of them had made every effort to be inseparable this summer. They were getting very accomplished at finding one pretext or another to run into each other throughout the course of their busy days. Rai had taken to eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the tavern. He helped out enough after hours that Walter had never complained about Thea serving him on the house. Sometimes he even brought his own lunch and took up a table in the corner just to be there with her while she worked. Thea in turn found herself taking the long way around to finish any errands that needed running during the day. The long way always involved a route past whatever job Rai was working at that day.
She found him hammering a thin post into the dirt next to the now barricaded hole. A thin red strip of cloth hung from the top of the pole to catch the attention of anyone wandering too close. The temporary lid was just a safety measure, not meant to actually allow someone to walk across, but the less townsfolk who fell into random sinkholes the better.
“Hi,” she caught his attention with a smile.
“Hi yourself,” he replied. “Where are you off to?” He dropped his mallet into his bucket of tools and made a token effort to dust himself off as he walked over.
“Sarys asked me to go help Math convince Trey to go to Tameron,” she answered. “Want to come with?”
“Sure,” Rai said as he reached her. He placed a dusty hand on each cheek and planted a firm kiss on her lips. She kept her eyes closed for a moment after he pulled away, savoring the touch of fingers and lips.
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“Let’s go then,” she said once she opened her eyes. “I can’t take forever; I need to get back.”
“I’ll just leave the tools here. She won’t mind,” he said.
“You going to let her know you’re finished?”
“Nah, she’s not home, went off somewhere.”
Thea shrugged and slipped her hand into his. His callused fingers wrapped around hers as they walked. Trey’s farm was about an hour’s walk once they hit the edge of town. They passed it talking about nothing important, enjoying each other’s company. Despite her initial objections, Thea was glad for the short time alone with him.
The road passed quickly underfoot while they were absorbed with each other, and Trey’s farm was in view before they knew it. The pastures were empty of horses, and Thea and Rai saw nobody moving around the farmhouse.
“Math must be inside with them,” Rai said.
“Yeah. You’d think he’d have the horses out to pasture though,” Thea replied.
Rai didn’t answer. They turned off the road onto the path leading up to the house.
“Look, Rai. Look at all the holes,” Thea said. A dozen open pits were obvious in the fields to either side of the path. Up ahead, the house’s front door stood open. “What is going on here?”
“I don’t know,” Rai replied, “but something’s not right.”
“Where is your brother?” Thea asked.
“Math!” Rai cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled. “Math! Trey! You here?”
“What is that?” Thea asked, pointing to what looked like a brown, shaggy rock a few yards from the door.
They stopped as she walked over to investigate. The thing was covered in short brown fur, with a longer strip like a horse’s mane attached to the top. She nudged it over with her foot, then gave a shocked cry. It really was a horse’s mane. The thing was half the head of a horse, one ragged end the stump of its neck. It had been lying face down, resting on half of a snout that ended just past the eyes as if gnawed away by a giant rodent. The eyes and ears had long since been eaten away by insects and vermin. A swarm of flies buzzed up as her probing foot toppled it over.
“What the hell?” Rai cursed, then yelled for his brother again. “Math! Where are you?”
“Rai, I think we need to go,” Thea said. A few feet from the chunk of horse, the sound of scrabbling and loose gravel was emanating from one of the strange sinkholes. A strange glimmer from the pit caught the light, almost like…eyes…
A sudden loud crash pulled Thea’s attention away from the strange hole. Maethius came flying from inside the house, body slamming into the open door as he turned the corner to exit, smashing it against the wall hard enough to crack the plaster. As he bounced off the wood and redirected his momentum out the door, he saw his brother and Thea standing shocked before him. His face and hands were bloody, his clothes ripped. His right hand gripped a carving knife, stained red. He opened his mouth and yelled with more horror than Thea thought either brother was capable of displaying.
“Run!”
They stood confused as he barreled out the door. Something skittered behind him, and he turned as a short, ugly creature launched itself out the door. Thea caught a glimpse of brown leathery skin, slitted yellow eyes, and long, curved claws. The thing leapt at Math as he spun, bringing the knife up under the thing’s chin. The blade slammed up through the lower jaw as the creature started opening its dog-like muzzle, exposing wicked pointed teeth. The solid impact drove the blade through the roof of its mouth and into its head, forcing the jaws shut and pinning them there with the blade. The momentum of its lunge carried the now lifeless carcass into Math’s arm as he twisted to dodge. As it dropped, the dead weight ripping the knife out of his hand, he turned back to the stunned watchers.
“RUN!”
Rai and Thea turned to run, spurred by the urgency and fear in Math’s voice. He caught them each by the cloth at their shoulders, clutching and pushing them forward. Shrill cries and screeches poured from the building behind them. Thea turned to the side as she stumbled. Half a dozen sinkholes were evident now in the field beside the path. Horror poured out of them. Several of the foul creatures clambered out, shaking dirt off their splotchy hides as they eyed the runners. They ran upright once they were above ground, like tiny men with reptilian skin and dog-like faces.
Thea caught her balance quickly. The chattering and screaming were all around them. The field on the opposite side was likewise pockmarked with holes. Another half dozen of the dwarfish dog-men were leaping out of those holes, slavering and growling. She didn’t pause to look behind her; she could hear well enough that the pursuit surrounded them on three sides.
Weaponless, they pounded down the path trying to escape the jaws of the trap threatening to enclose them. As they passed a thick oak near the side of the path, one of the creatures darted out, biting at Rai’s legs. The teeth were easily long enough to pierce a hamstring or a tendon, and Thea knew if they went down they would be swarmed and finished by claws and fangs.
Rai spun, pulling his leg out of the way of the snapping jaws, and smashed a heavy fist into the side of the thing’s head. The blow knocked it sideways into the dust, where it shook its head and clambered back up to its feet. Rai continued his spin and kept running, losing only a step to Math and Thea.
They made just a few more strides before more of the creatures sprung onto the path in front of them, scampering towards the trio. They skidded to a halt, nowhere left to run. Without a word, Math and Rai closed in on either side of Thea as the first of the creatures attacked. Jaws wide and dripping with saliva, it tried to take Math at the knees. Math spun and avoided the full impact but cried out as claws slashed through his legging into his legs.
Rai stepped between her and the other two, and Thea looked behind. A dozen drooling horrors closed in behind them, only seconds from the three.
Thea was bracing herself to fight, knowing it wouldn’t last long, when thin lengths of wood sprouted from the bodies of two of the things. Blood sprayed out from the impact of two hunting arrows, and the beasts tumbled in the dust. Two tall men broke the cover of the trees, raising long, thin, curved blades in a two-handed grip and yelling wildly. The distraction slowed the attackers, some turning to face the new arrivals and decide if they were threat or prey. Two more arrows took down their small targets, shafts slamming into a head and a torso and dropping them to the dirt. Shouting behind her told her that help might have come from that direction as well.
Aid or no aid, she still faced down several of the creatures. The two men reached the pack at the same time the pack reached Thea, exotic swords slicing through limbs and necks, making short work of the creatures. The whirling blades didn’t stop them all. Two of the assailants, focused on Thea as prey, bounded up and hit her in the chest at the same time. She went down heavily, teeth snapping at her throat and claws tearing at her chest. She threw up a forearm to block her windpipe but paid the price as fangs clamped down hard on her wrist, digging deep into her flesh and pulling her protective arm down. The other seized the opportunity and opened its maw to tear a hole in her neck.
She grimaced in anticipation, then was drenched in a spray of warm blood as the thing’s head disappeared. An instant later, the grip on her arm was broken with a scream as a thin blade skewered the other through the side. She yanked her arm free, spitting salty blood, as the man now beside her stood. His crouched, horizontal thrust had pierced the body through. It slid off the blade as he straightened, grabbing the headless corpse that now rested on her chest and rolling it off her.
She rolled quickly to hands and knees, looking for Rai. He stood near Math, scratched and bloodied. He was already reaching for her, helping her up.
“Are you alright?” he asked, casting a concerned eye on her shredded forearm.
“I’ll live,” she replied, and looked around her.
Four strangers stood around the trio. They were all tall, easily looking even Math and Rai in the eye. Their long hair was pulled back and tied with leather thongs, holding it clear of their piercing eyes. Their skin was fair, but their expressions hard and serious. They were, if she was honest with herself, beautiful, as if sculpted. All four of them carried the unusual long, thin swords. They kept a sharp eye on the surrounding fields as two of them retrieved fallen bows. Around them, small scattered and dismembered corpses leaked their lifeblood into the dirt.