New World: a Frontier Fantasy Novel by Steven W. White

Author:Steven W. White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical fiction, fantasy, fantasy adventure, folklore, historical fantasy, tall tales, frontier adventure, pioneer fiction, frontier america, fantasy animals, fearsome critters, lumberjack tales

Chapter 21

Falling snow clung to Tyrus's long hair in accumulating delicate flakes. Cadogan snarled and shook his head every few minutes, flinging it from his braided beard. Zane scouted ahead, almost out of sight. Uilleam lagged farther and farther behind. Yolaf was with him.

Tyrus cursed the snow. It slowed them, keeping them from Rastaban... and drained their strength with every trudging step in the chilling knee-deep powder. He pushed his men on. They wouldn't freeze to death -- not at this pace. But they would starve all the sooner.

The sky above looked heavy and threatening. Flakes spiraled out of the heavens. The green of the pines seemed drained away, and the forest around them was gray and white. Between the snow-laden branches, Tyrus could see downslope, under the clouds, almost to where they had crossed the snow line.

Wafting up from the trees was a thin ribbon of smoke.

It had been there yesterday, too. Closer, now.

Coincidence, possibly. Other travelers heading the same way. Like the old man they had found -- he had told them that Settler's Pass was the only way though these mountains.

Tyrus returned to the march. The smoke was not worth his concern. But he felt his gut telling him otherwise.

He spotted Zane ahead, his body rigid, his fist in the air. He had seen something. Tyrus froze, anticipating. Behind him, the others stopped and fell silent.

Zane nocked an arrow and drew, aiming low among the trees. The twang of taut string resonated in the heavy, still air. Zane lowered his bow and stood relaxed.

Tyrus could tell by his posture. Zane had struck something! All four rushed to him, saw his satisfied smile, and followed his gaze to the kill. Twenty yards ahead, the bright blue feathers on the arrow's tail marked the spot like a pennant.

Cadogan got there first. He pulled up the arrow, and everyone cheered when they saw the hare empaled on the arrow's head. Its fur was white flecked with brown, a common hare, gloriously fat, and with no damned antlers.

"Well done, Zane," said Tyrus. "Yolaf and Cadogan, gather wood. We eat right now."

Zane beamed quietly. Even Uilleam smiled broadly as he cradled his arm, huffing great clouds of mist from his sprint to the hare.

Cadogan's face fell. "Won't Uilleam gather wood?"

Uilleam turned suspiciously.

Tyrus scowled. "Cadogan--"

"Zane, I understand. It was his shot. His eye and arm earned him his rest. But what has Uilleam done?"

"Uilleam was wounded in battle--" Tyrus stopped himself. Was he about to debate with Cadogan the Red? Surely Tyrus was slipping. A sign he was more exhausted than he had estimated. Tyrus had to demand obedience from Cadogan, from all of them--

"Too badly wounded," Cadogan said. "I fear we must bravely face the truth, friends. Uilleam grows weaker. He'll soon drop in his tracks. Shall we waste a portion of this fine catch on a man already dead--"

Tyrus had Cadogan by the throat.

He squeezed, cutting off Cadogan's air, grinning as he saw Cadogan's eyes bug out.

"You task me," Tyrus whispered in his ear.

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