“STOP!”
Will’s voice was so commanding that Eleanor froze. She turned her head. Conlan stood nearest to her, three creatures lying at his feet. He had frozen in the process of punching the lights out on the fourth. He had not even worked up a sweat. Freddie and Amelia stood back to back, two creatures at their feet, clearly dead. A third watched them warily, also frozen. A creature was curled up in a ball against the cave wall, shaking, as it watched with cold, emotionless eyes. Eleanor could not work out from its expression if it was injured or just afraid. Another body lay face down, dead, near the cave’s exit, Conlan’s boot knife sticking out of its back. Will was standing over one of the beings – he had its own spear jammed into its neck, but he had an odd expression on his face, as if he was listening intently. Slowly, he lowered the spear, dropped it to the ground and reached a hand out to the green being, offering it assistance to stand. A firm, webbed green hand took Will’s and the being stood. Surprised, Conlan released the robe of the creature he held and dropped his raised fist. The creature staggered back, tripping over the body of an unconscious comrade and landing on its back, staring at Conlan in terror, Eleanor assumed, but it was tricky to tell; their faces did not show emotion in a way she understood.
Eleanor watched numbly as the green beings silently checked their dead and wounded. They made no noise, but they were clearly communicating with each other and Will.
Maybe they don’t like noise.
Every so often one would approach Will, tilt its head to one side and they would stare at each other for a moment. Will would nod or shake his head.
Why are they just talking to Will?
Considering who they attacked, Eleanor decided the beings had got off lightly. Conlan had not been trying to kill them, or they would have suffered far heavier losses. As it was, they had three dead and Eleanor was doubtful the creature she had stabbed in the stomach would survive. She felt guilt wash over her whenever she looked at it lying on the ground and surrounded by its friends.
Are they friends? Are they family?
The dead creatures did not lose their green glow when they died, and Eleanor tried very hard not to look at their eerily glowing lifeless bodies as the others fussed around them.
Bioluminescence caused by some enzyme in the skin?
It was not something created by their energy, as Eleanor could feel that was gone. She remained where she was, as the others did, watching as the green beings flowed around them.
Eventually Conlan’s curiosity got the better of him.
“Will, what’s going on?”
His voice was calm and soft, but the creatures froze, all eyes turned towards him, and Eleanor unconsciously tightened her grip on the spear she was still holding. Will looked at Conlan and shook his head slowly. Looking extremely irritated, Conlan nodded once and said nothing more. The green being that had been trembling against the cave wall was carefully and reverently helped to its feet. Something in the way the other creatures touched it made Eleanor think this was someone special, important almost. The being was smaller than the others and moved with more noticeable grace.
Is this a female?
It walked towards Will, stopping in front of him. They stared at each other for a long time. Eventually Will raised his head and looked at Conlan, his gaze intense.
“Whatever happens next,” he whispered. “Don’t intervene.”
Conlan nodded his agreement. Will returned his gaze to the being in front of him, and to Eleanor’s surprise dropped to his knees before it. Green hands were raised, webbed fingers spreading out like green baseball gloves, and Will’s head was gripped firmly between them. Almost immediately his face screwed up in pain – his eyes rolled and his hands grasped the being’s forearms as his body shook violently. Amelia sobbed involuntarily and made a move towards him. Freddie grabbed her arm, shaking his head. Their eyes glazed over as they argued. Whatever Freddie said, Amelia was finally convinced and slumped against him sobbing softly, unable to watch Will’s obvious agony. Head still trapped between the glowing green hands, Will’s jerks and twitches were becoming weaker. He whimpered as his arms fell to his sides, and Eleanor got the impression that he was only upright because he was being held there. His breath was coming out in short, strained pants, and blood ran from his nose and eyes. Terrified that they were going to kill him, Eleanor dropped her spear and ran forward. Conlan grabbed at her, pulling her off her feet and pinning her to him, his strong arms wrapped securely around her waist and chest. She squirmed in his grip, kicking and flailing with her arms and legs. She heard his grunts of pain as her heels and elbows struck him, but she could see Will dying in front of her – she had to help.
“Let go of me,” she hissed.
“Will asked us not to intervene. Trust him,” Conlan whispered harshly as he struggled to hold on to her.
“But they’re hurting him,” Eleanor moaned softly, looking at Will – face pale, eyes closed. He no longer looked conscious.
“And do you think you’re the only one finding that hard to take?” Conlan whispered in her ear. Eleanor froze at the pain in his words.
When he felt certain she was not going to struggle any further, Conlan lowered her feet to the ground but kept a firm arm around her. Eleanor found it comforting. With no visible sense of ending, Will’s head was released from the being’s grip and he toppled to his side, lying still. Eleanor felt Conlan’s body tense. For several heartbeats nobody moved, and then Amelia tore herself from Freddie’s grip and ran to Will’s side, trembling fingers touching his face.
“Is he OK?” Conlan whispered. Amelia turned a tear-stained face to his, her doubt and fear burning in her eyes, then turned back to Will, gently stroking his hair. The green beings began moving around them again as if nothing had happened. Will twitched and slowly opened his eyes, and with Amelia’s help he pulled himself up to sit upright. He looked awful. Even after he had wiped the blood from his face, he was pale and shaking, and he gazed at them from unfocused, bloodshot eyes. Eleanor felt a strong energy string brush against her and pulled it in, realising that Freddie, Amelia and Will had combined their energy strings so they could all talk together.
OK, what’s going on?
Not now, Eleanor
, Will said, sounding remarkably like Conlan.
We need to leave
–
as slowly and as silently as we can manage.
A million questions and thoughts whirled round Eleanor’s head. Hurt by Will’s rebuke she would have kept quiet, but one persistent thought needed to be aired before they left.
Will, I think we are meant to make these people our allies. I think that’s why the chalice was placed here.
Making these people our allies is not an option right now. If we’re lucky we might get out of here alive
, Will countered.
We were doing a pretty good job of kicking their glowing green butts before you told us to stop
, Freddie commented.
Will glared at Freddie.
This is the advanced party… any minute now hundreds of these green creatures are going to show up, and I do NOT want to be around for that. I made a deal
–
these guys will let us go, along with the chalice, although they are not happy about it and they’re not sure how the others will react when they arrive. We need to get away from the water so they don’t follow us.
What deal? What did they do to you?
Eleanor asked suspiciously.
I won’t say it again, Eleanor, NOT now!
Will snapped.
His anger leaving her thoroughly dispirited, Eleanor nodded and headed with the others towards the cave’s exit, making sure to take silent, careful steps. Conlan retrieved his small knife, still coated in glowing green goo, and then had the presence of mind to pick up a torch. They crowded together to walk down the tunnel back towards the waterfall, the lack of light increasing Eleanor’s fear. Will moved the wall of water aside so they could get out. Amelia said nothing but left it to Freddie and Eleanor to lead him from the ledge and out of the way while he concentrated on keeping the water back. As Will let his hold on the water go, he staggered again, but Freddie was ready for it and supported him. It took him longer to recover this time, and Eleanor could see his exhaustion. Amelia saw it too, worry for him clear in her eyes.
Maybe Will should be grateful someone cares so much about him.
They stepped from the waterfall into a heavy rain storm, wind whipping up around them and ponderous dark-grey clouds casting a gloomy pall over the land. Will hustled them away from the waterfall and the river and they made their way back to the horses. Eleanor quietly greeted Horse as Conlan’s irritation and curiosity finally exploded.
“What was
that
about?” he asked, looking at Will.
“They are natives of Mydren; they evolved here, they didn’t come through the portal. They live out under the sea. They worship the dragon and we just violated their sacred space. Every year, hundreds of their people come here in groups on a pilgrimage up the river to the waterfall, to talk to the dragon. In return, he tells them the future,” Will said in a slow, tired voice.
“Can’t be very good at it – he didn’t tell them we were coming!” Freddie commented.
“Why did they only talk to you?” Eleanor asked, ignoring Freddie.
“They said they tried, but you didn’t recognise their presence in your minds. I was the only one that did,” Will said.
“So you
can
talk to fish,” Freddie said, a grin spreading across his face.
Will gave him an irritated scowl. “They’re not fish, Freddie, they’re people and we killed them for no real reason.”
“I think we were supposed to make allies of them,” Conlan said softly.
Will raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. “So Eleanor said, but I don’t think that’s possible right now. Maybe in a few decades when they’ve calmed down.”
“Maybe if they hadn’t attacked us, we wouldn’t have had to defend ourselves. Can’t we explain that?” Eleanor asked.
“They interpreted you yelling as an act of aggression, Eleanor – they thought
they
were defending themselves,” Will said.
“Oh.” Eleanor felt her guilt crash over her again. “I didn’t know.”
“Maybe this will teach you to think before you open your mouth,” Will said, hard eyes and stern tone making Eleanor cringe. She dropped her head as the wind and rain plastered her hair across her face. She had lost Conlan potential allies because she was unable to keep her sarcastic comments to herself. Shame burnt through her.
“So what was that ‘person’ doing to you?” Conlan asked.
“Ransacking my head,” Will said, holding Conlan’s gaze, his expression saying several things that Eleanor did not understand.
“Looked like it hurt,” Freddie said.
Not taking his eyes off Conlan, Will nodded. “I don’t think our minds were entirely compatible; she certainly didn’t intend to hurt me.”
“But you knew she was going to?” Amelia asked in a quiet emotionless voice.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you do it?” Amelia snapped. Will finally moved his gaze from Conlan to Amelia, his tired blue eyes holding hers.
“They’re as curious about us as we are about them; she wanted to know about us. I offered her a deal – my memories for our lives and the chalice.”
“She stripped you of your memories?” Freddie asked, horrified.
Will shook his head. “No, she sort of copied them, like Earth did when she stormed through my head. To be honest, I have no idea how much she saw, which is a little worrying because I’m not exactly the best ambassador for Avatars, or human beings in general for that matter.”
“What was her mind like?” Conlan asked.
“Discussion for a little later, out of the rain perhaps, when I don’t have a headache that feels like it’s going to rip my skull in two,” Will said, looking pointedly at Conlan again.
“OK, so where to next?” Freddie asked.
“I don’t know,” Eleanor said in a small guilty voice. “I haven’t been able to work out the location of the sword.”
“Then we should find somewhere we can rest for a while to give you some time to think,” Conlan said, his tone soft, reassuring and very welcome after Will’s rebuke. Eleanor smiled at him, and before she knew how it happened her world was turned upside down.
Eleanor registered Conlan’s eyes widening in shock, registered the arrow that flew past her head close enough for her to feel the fletching brush her face. She registered Amelia shriek Conlan’s name, saw her move in front of him and watched in paralysed horror as the projectile thudded deep into her chest, pushing her back into Conlan with such force that she knocked them both off their feet. Still unable to move, Eleanor saw them land, the air ‘whoomphing’ out of Conlan’s lungs as Amelia landed on top of him. Freddie yelled Eleanor’s name and she turned in time to see the arrow that should have pierced her skull fall inert to the ground as it hit solid air in front of her.
Amelia is shielding, she’s not dead.
Eleanor turned back to her stricken friend. Conlan had sat her up, cradling her slumped body, a look of horror on his face. Amelia was pale. A thin line of blood dribbled from the corner of her mouth and her eyes burned with agony as she fought for consciousness. She pushed herself to keep shielding them, to keep protecting them. More arrows struck the shield. Overhead lightning flashed and the sky rumbled its sympathy for its wounded Avatar. Will stared; he made no move towards Amelia but dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself, wretched devastation etched into his face.
“Where are the arrows coming from?” Freddie asked, coming up to Eleanor’s side.
“Amelia,” Eleanor moaned. It was currently as far as her thoughts went. Putting a hand on either side of her face, Freddie wrenched her eyes away from Amelia and forced her to look at him.