The Mountains Rise

  Soon after, he was back in the saddle, resuming his course into the forest. He rode in the same direction for several minutes before turning to his left and kicking the horse into a gallop, charging through the trees in the direction of the male warden. Rather than try to maintain his distance, the warden urged his own mount into a canter, heading to meet him head on.

  The woman who had been following on his right also sped up, moving to follow him.

  The distance between Daniel and the warden disappeared rapidly as they raced toward each other, and he noticed immediately that the other man had covered himself with a powerful shield, just as the first warden had. The warden’s sword glowed with deadly energy as they got closer.

  He’ll cut me in two with that thing, and there’s nothing I can do to get through that shield. He focused instead on the other rider’s horse, twisting its aura in a way that, he thought, should produce a state of abject panic. The exact opposite of what he had done to his own mount earlier.

  The warden’s horse reared suddenly, throwing its rider to the ground and rather than fight, Daniel kept riding, galloping past while the man fought to keep from being trampled by his panicked mount. By the time he could calm the beast, Daniel was pretty sure he would be far from sight in the other direction.

  He still had the woman chasing him however, and she was clearly a better rider. Her destrier was lighter than the massive gelding he rode and far more agile in the dense woodland. Daniel was awed by the grace and athleticism of the rider as she moved with her horse, maintaining her balance, her movements flowing into its own as the horse wove in and out of the saplings.

  She was less than a hundred yards behind him now and gaining quickly. He tried to reach her mount, to panic it as he had done before, but she had seen his trick already. There was a shield around the horse as well as its master.

  Frustrated, Daniel cast about himself mentally, looking for anything that might help. The ground ahead was smooth, punctuated only by small bushes and interrupted by generously spaced trees. Occasional fallen logs and limbs forced the horses to make small jumps here and there, but so far their mounts had shown themselves to be up to the task.

  The deadwood caught his attention.

  He knew that his ability could affect things in a directly physical fashion, although he had only recently made that discovery. He reflected on the memory of breaking the warden’s invisible bonds, and then he recalled pulling the leather thong to himself in Kate’s home.

  If only I had spent more time trying to figure this out. Obviously trying to learn to use his power while being chased at breakneck speed through a woodland obstacle course wasn’t ideal.

  She was pulling closer, barely twenty yards behind. Daniel was guiding his horse, to avoid low brush and obstacles whereas she clearly knew her mount far better. Low obstacles she merely leaned close while her agile mount leapt them. Branches that threatened to sweep her from its back didn’t faze her either, she had an uncanny way of knowing exactly what was high enough for her to get under and what really required her to change course.

  In short, she was able to take a much more direct path, while Daniel and his larger mount made constant changes in direction.

  She’s faster, far more experienced, and she knows the area, he thought silently. She also knows her power, protecting both herself and her mount. I’m completely screwed.

  The woman was drawing abreast of him now, a predatory smile on her face, and he watched her closing, fascinated by her appearance. The same strange leather armor encased her body, allowing her plenty of freedom of movement as she shifted positions on her mount. A wooden sword was in her hand, and her dark brown hair was flying behind her in two braids. She looked every inch a warrior maiden. Confidence was written plainly in every movement.

  Even if we were on foot with nothing but swords, she’d probably cut me to pieces.

  He realized then that she was toying with him. She was obviously well versed in her abilities. She could have stopped his mount in any number of ways, sending him tumbling. Worse, she could probably use her power to kill him directly, just as he had with Ronnie. Daniel hadn’t the faintest idea how to protect himself.

  The expression on the warden’s face told him clearly just how much she was enjoying the chase.

  Reaching out mentally, Daniel tried to use his power to tug at a branch ahead of them. It was a green, healthy limb, and while he could see and feel it move, its strength prevented him from ripping it free.

  More practice, he silently cursed himself, you could have done that if you were more skilled.

  The woman had seen him grasping wildly with his power, and she laughed, only a few feet behind.

  A dead limb, no bigger than a man’s wrist, was in the path ahead of him so Daniel pulled his horse’s reins to the left to avoid it. Once again, his horse could have jumped it easily, but he didn’t know its abilities very well. The warden following never wavered, knowing her horse would clear it.

  At the last second the branch jumped upward, tugged by Daniel’s power. It tangled in the horse’s legs, causing it to stumble. What had been a beautiful display of skill and athleticism, turned into a crashing avalanche of horseflesh. The warden was thrown through the air, flying twenty feet before striking a small sapling.

  Her horse didn’t rise; it was twisting and thrashing on the ground. At least two legs were broken. The woman, incredibly, was alive. The force of the blow had broken her shield but she hadn’t lost consciousness. Using the tree that had nearly killed her, she steadied herself as she stood back up.

  I need to learn that. Those shield-things are incredibly handy. He didn’t pause in his admiration though, seeing his chance, he struck at her aura with his mind, twisting and ripping.

  She fought him for a split second, but the fall had left her disoriented and weak. After only a moment she was screaming, and soon after that she fell, convulsing on the forest floor. Daniel kept his focus on her until he was sure she was dead, while at the same time turning his horse to circle back to her mount.

  The other animal was in serious pain, so Daniel touched its mind, soothing it and trying to calm it. It was difficult, because the animal was already panicked and its body was badly injured, but eventually he wrapped its awareness in a sort of mental blanket, forcing it into blissful unconsciousness. He kept it that way until he could dismount and finish it with the sword.

  Remounting he rode on, searching the forest for the other rider. He had ridden far enough that he could no longer sense him, so he didn’t know if the man had recovered and was following him, or whether he had given up.

  Hopefully, if I can’t find him then he can’t find me.

  He directed his mount to head deeper into the wood. The last thing any sane man would do would be to head in that direction. Soon the towering forms of the god-trees were looming in front of him.

  They were something he had only heard about in stories, or seen in the faint distance, from the tops of the hills around the valley; massive trees that rose hundreds of feet into the air. They dwarfed the largest of the oaks and elms that dared to grow in their vicinity, and once he was under them there were no other trees to be found. Their size overshadowed everything else.

  Little grew between them, other than small, highly shade tolerant plants, small stunted bushes and the like. There were absolutely no other trees besides the god-trees themselves once he had passed beyond the verge. Riding was simple, for there were hardly any dead limbs. There was no path, but his way was clear in every direction.

  The god-trees were so vast that they were spaced with at least a hundred feet between each of the monstrous trunks. Small patches of light found the ground at irregular intervals, providing enough light to prevent the deep forest from being in perpetual gloom, although it was still rather dim.

  Most startling of all was the way his new senses presented the trees. Unlike the oaks and elms of the more normal forest, these trees shone brightly with the strange power he had co
me to associate with the wardens. Their auras were complex, in the same sort of way that he had come to expect of human auras, but the patterns were different, alien. It felt as though they were watching him.

  He began to sense human figures in the limbs high above. They were hidden from sight, but he could find them with his mind. They ran along a network of paths created by the vast branches that spread from tree to tree. There weren’t many of them, and they seemed to pay little heed to him as he rode beneath them.

  It was the trees that scared him. He could feel their attention pressing inward on his awareness. The stories always described the forest gods as human-like in form, but he began to wonder if the stories were wrong. Perhaps the forest gods were the trees themselves.

  More riders appeared at the edge of his perception, five of them this time. They rode in a wide-spread line, moving in a direction perpendicular to his path, far enough ahead that they would meet him soon if he didn’t change course.

  Shifting his path to the right he headed directly for the nearest member of the line. The riders on the far end would have to circle around to reach and assist the first one now, rather than coming at him from all sides if he had continued on to meet the one in the middle.

  As the other rider came into view Daniel charged directly for him, hoping bravado might accomplish what his lack of skill could not.

  This one had also shielded his horse as well as himself, and while Daniel searched for some means to distract or disorient his opponent the warden struck his unprotected mind, smothering his thoughts. Daniel felt himself beginning to lose consciousness and he started tugging on the reins to stop his horse before he fell. Mentally he struggled, tearing at the soft bonds that seemed to slow his thoughts, urging him to sleep.

  The warden watched with some surprise as he continued to fight, bringing his horse to a full stop and dismounting even as his body swayed.

  Unable to force his quarry into unconsciousness, the warden made the same mistake the one at Kate’s house had, he switched from the mental attack and used his power to create bands of pure force, imprisoning Daniel’s body.

  Why would they do that when someone might just do this?

  Flexing his power Daniel fought for a moment with his would-be captor until, once again the bands broke in a blinding flash of released energy. This warden released them just as they snapped though, avoiding the worst of the backlash. Staggered, the man dismounted, drawing his blade.

  Daniel didn’t wait for him to recover. He took to his feet, running as fast as he could to one side. The warden followed but quickly discovered he was no match for the teenager’s long stride. After just seconds he gave up, running back to his mount.

  The other riders had closed on him now, pacing him easily, like wolves harassing a deer. They used their power to catch his feet, tripping him, laughing when he fell face first into the soft dirt and leaves. He wouldn’t stay down, however. Each time he leapt up and continued to run, fear giving more strength and speed to his legs.

  The first one of the five that he had encountered caught up with them, shouting a warning to his companions, “Careful, he’s strong.”

  They laughed and another caught his legs again, sending him into a running fall. The warden didn’t hold him, though and let Daniel jump up to run again. “Don’t think he’s dangerous just because he made a fool of you, Dravek!” said one of the women.

  Daniel sensed another figure ahead, that of a woman, though her aura was different from the others. She had no shield for one thing, and she appeared to be sitting on the other side of one of the massive tree trunks. Not knowing what else to do, he ran in her direction, vaguely thinking perhaps he could take a hostage.

  The wardens sensed her too, and they began to slow, letting him get ahead of them. Their expressions seemed fearful.

  Dashing around the trunk, his eyes caught a glimpse of otherworldly beauty. The maiden in front of him was clothed only in a gossamer gown of a transparent white material. She looked up at him from where she sat, her face unworried. Her hair flowed down over her shoulders like a rain of living silver until it reached her hips.

  Refusing to let her appearance distract him, Daniel ran straight for her, holding the wooden sword in his right hand.

  The woman’s visage never shifted, she continued to stare at him blankly, as if she couldn’t comprehend his actions. Lifting one hand, her lips parted and something spiraled outward from her, merging with the wood of his weapon.

  As he ran, the wood changed, twisting and growing into a long scaled beast, like some nightmare of a viper. It wrapped itself around his arm and tightened while its head sought his throat. In a panic he pulled at it with his free arm, but it had tightened and felt stronger than iron. The head snaked around his throat and began to constrict.

  Daniel fell to the earth, struggling to breath. His head felt as though it might explode from the pressure, while his heart began to pound in his chest. The woman leaned over him, looking down pitilessly. She spoke to him, but the words were unintelligible.

  The riders had stopped, more than twenty yards distant. They had left their mounts and were now kneeling, heads bowed. One of them spoke, using the same unknown language.

  Just as Daniel knew he was about to expire, the wooden snake loosened slightly around his throat, allowing him to draw breath.

  The silver-haired woman spoke again, staring at him with icy blue eyes that almost matched his own color. She tilted her head slightly and as her hair shifted he could see the tip of one delicately pointed ear appear.

  “I can’t understand you,” he managed to say.

  The same rider spoke up again, and Daniel wondered if they had just translated his words. The lady replied in a harsher tone, and the warden lowered his head, as if in shame.

  This must be one of the forest gods, thought Daniel.

  As the thought occurred to him, the god reached out with one slender hand and touched his forehead. He felt her power enter his mind and with it came two strange visions. The first showed him choking again, his face turning purple as he twisted on the ground, dying slowly. The second vision showed him kneeling before her, kissing the ground at her feet.

  The meaning of it was pretty obvious even to him, death or servitude.

  Thinking of Kate again, he made his choice and struggled to his knees in front of her. Using his left arm for balance, he lowered his head to the mossy ground, but rather than kiss it he shifted and put his lips against the soft skin of her foot. Without thinking, he used his power to touch her aura, attempting to send a pleasurable sensation along her leg.

  Her body shivered slightly, while behind him, he felt more than saw the wardens gasp. He wondered if they would kill him now, but none of them moved.

  The forest god withdrew her foot and gazed down on him curiously, and Daniel felt as if he were falling into the azure pools that were her eyes. He was paralyzed with a feeling of awe and wonder. Her fingers moved again, and she put her hands together, drawing them apart slowly as a necklace of swirling energy appeared between them. Reaching around his neck, she brought the ends together at his throat, but they didn’t join.

  She spoke again and touched his brow with one hand, sending him another image, indicating that he needed to use his power to join the ends.

  With his left hand he followed her arm until he found the place where her fingers held the two ends, and with a pulse of his own power the necklace fused into an unbroken circle.

  The forest god spoke again, and while he still couldn’t understand the words, he could already guess their meaning. “You are mine.”

  Chapter 16

  The wardens spoke with her for a moment, but all Daniel could understand of their conversation was that the silver-haired woman seemed to be telling them no. In the end they left, and the two of them were left alone.

  She said one more word to him and then began to walk up the side of the tree. After ascending twenty feet she looked down at him curiously, as if she couldn’t
understand why he wasn’t following. She spat out a string of words, but they meant nothing to him.

  “I can’t do that,” said Daniel, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

  She walked down as easily as she went up, with absolutely no regard for gravity whatsoever. The only way he could tell it still affected her was because her long hair hung straight down toward the earth even though her body was perfectly horizontal, perpendicular to the trunk.

  Placing her finger on his forehead again, she sent another image into his mind, while at the same time placing his hand on the thick bark of the tree. At first he was confused, but then his mind cleared, and he could see what she was trying to show him. Pushing his power out through the palm of his hand, he was able to create a temporary bond between his palm and the rough surface.

  Satisfied that he understood, she barked another word and pointed up.

  Putting one hand to the tree, he used his strange new power and made it adhere, then he stretched his other hand up to a higher point and did the same. He had no idea how she had been able to walk up the way she had just done. There was clearly more going on there than simply sticking her feet to the surface. Releasing his first hand, he pulled himself higher with the other and then found a new spot higher up for the first hand.

  It was incredibly difficult, pulling himself up, hand over hand. While the bark was rough, it didn’t have enough texture for him to find footholds, so he was forced to leave his legs hanging, deadweight. On his third hand up, the bond between skin and tree failed, and he fell, dropping to the ground and landing on his backside.

  His new companion gave him a stare that he was all too familiar with. He had seen it on his mother’s face frequently, and more recently on Kate’s. It was the ‘you’re too stupid for words’ look. Leaning in, she touched his head again, giving him a new picture.