Soulstealer by El McInerney

Author:El McInerney [El McInerney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Spellstone Press
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

27

Ina

The Test is a terrible, dark thing. No one can deny it. But it is also our duty and our burden to bear. We must remain true to Chel and protect the world she wove for us and all her creatures.—Teachings of Old Tsu

A new storm arrived the day after Mūak’s attack, the wind so strong and the rain so heavy that Ina was forced to abandon any further attempts with the magic. It also meant that she and Suni had to postpone their plan to go and harvest the clawtongue. Indeed, they didn’t see each other at all, as Ina was expected to wait out the storm in the Hunters’ Lodge while Suni spent her time in the hut she shared with her family. The storm did at least make her rest and recover some of her strength, but as the days dragged by and the Test got closer, she began to sleep less and fret more.

The storm finally began to die on the third day, the wind dipping enough to make it possible to go outside for urgent repair tasks. But two more days passed before Ina and Suni could make time to meet. By then the sun was shining in a clear sky, and the Test was only one day away.

Their meeting point was the beginning of the path that wound its way up the steep sides of Ilij’ai. They would need to follow it for close to two marks to get above the tree line and reach the nearest patch of clawtongue, so they met in the early morning. The afternoon would be taken up by preparations for the Ritual of Exile that would take place that night.

As Ina made her way to the meeting point, she debated again whether to tell Suni about Mūak’s visit. Telling her meant revealing she had been practicing her powers, and she wanted to keep that secret. But she also wanted to know if Mūak had followed her because Suni had said something to him. In the end, she decided to wait and see whether Suni herself would bring it up.

Suni was already at the meeting place when Ina arrived, looked wan and drawn. Her smile, though, was hopeful. Ina kissed her on the lips, wanting to take her time, but Suni soon pulled away. “I don’t want to be gone from Tani too long.”

So Ina led the way onto a barely visible animal trail that took them through dense fern into the highlands. They walked largely without talking, the humid heat causing sweat to prickle on their bodies. In some parts, Ina had to use a stick to beat back the ferns and other growth so that they could pass through. The way was made even more difficult by fallen tree branches, and sometimes also by toppled trees. As a result, her breath was harsh and ragged by the time they broke out of the tree cover and onto the rocky upper half of the mountain. Here she changed

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