See Prologue (A) for Disclaimers

Chapter Five

"So!  The clumsy one has a new friend.  How sweet."

The voice was female, dripping with sarcasm, and about an inch away from his ear.  Dar's eyes snapped open, his mind bolting out of slumber at the same time.  Without needing to think, he rolled away from the voice, his hand grabbing the staff at his side on the way.  He came to his feet in a low squat, one knee on the ground for stability, the bladed side of the staff swinging up and coming to a stop inches away from its target's throat.  Dar blinked.

"Curupira."

The forest spirit, called a demon due to the earthbound nature of her powers rather than any maliciousness in her, grinned at him.  "Glad as that to see me, BeastMaster?"  She cocked her head, birdlike, and her big, blue eyes shone with mischief.  "Be glad I did not take advantage of your slumber.  I warned you to sleep with your mouth closed."

Dar glared at her, but he remained silent.  He still wasn't sure exactly what ground he was on with the creature who had given him his power.  After Ketzwayo, a rival demon, had maneuvered the killing of several animals while Dar tracked the creature's human helper, Curupira had not seemed especially grateful.  And to have a being angry at you who could suck the life-force out of someone and literally leave them an empty skin . . . well, it was not a good thing, to say the least.

"I didn't know we were close to your territory," he said cautiously.

Curupira's expression hardened slightly, frightening to one who knew her as Dar did, and incongruously old on her very young face.  Dar didn't know just how old the demon was, but it was definitely not the mere seventeen years she appeared to have.  "You seem better able -- and more willing -- to protect your humans than my animals, BeastMaster."

Dar flinched, as if the words physically hurt him.  The animals he had failed to protect, in Curupira's eyes, had been his friends.  He mourned their loss in a way that Curupira could not, despite being their guardian.  The demon knew this; for a moment, she felt regret at her harsh words both then and now.  For that reason, she dropped the topic and changed tacks.  "Why are you helping this girl and going so far from my animals?"

Sharak, perched on a nearby branch, mantled as he answered for his human friend.   The girl needs protecting at the moment, the eagle mind-spoke to both man and demon.   As does the life she carries within her.

Curupira looked at him.  "It is not the BeastMaster's duty to protect humans."

"Not the duty you gave me," Dar answered her.  "But it is the duty I was raised to hold myself to.  She is an innocent."

Curupira snorted slightly.  "Not from what I see."  Dar's expression hardened.  She took note of it with interest, then cocked her head and said with uncanny insight, "And she is not Kyra.  You cannot save her by saving this one."

Dar frowned.  "Do you know where Kyra is?" he asked urgently.  He had been unable to find a trace of her in all the months since she was recaptured by the Sorceress.  "Tell me!"

"No," Curupira said, though whether she answered the first question or the second was unclear.  She looked at Sharak before Dar could ask.  "So.  You guide them to the witch?"

Sharak cocked his head, eyeing her with an uncertain gaze.   I do.  It is sanctuary, has been for millennia.  Once there, the girl and her child will be safe -- and the BeastMaster can return to your  lands.

Curupira looked at him for a long moment.  There was something in her expression that kept both man and eagle silent.  Finally, she said, "Beware, shapeshifter.  It has been over a thousand years since you last visited the wood."  She paused, as if considering saying more, then seemed to decide in favor of it.  "You will find more changed than the same."

Such is the nature of things, Sharak replied, but his tone was wary.

Curupira smiled, her eyes unreadable.  "More things need protecting than the slave-girl and her babe.  The witch knows that well," she said.  "Be careful that you do not lose their future in your past, and hers."

Dar picked up on something she said and asked lightly, "How do you know she was a slave?"

Curupira's gaze turned to him.  She looked a bit irritated, but Dar wasn't sure if it was at his interruption or perceptiveness.  "I know everything that goes on in my forests.  She passed through them on her journeys."  She shrugged with forced nonchalance, unwilling to admit that she had had sympathy for the girl or any human.  "She harmed nothing and was no threat.  I saw no reason to halt or harm her."

Dar only smiled, his eyes shining pale green in the moonlight with humor and approval.

Curupira felt herself flush with pleasure under that gaze and her irritation grew.  Damn it all, how did the man keep getting to her like this?!  She was thousands of years older than him, had known humans far wiser and more beautiful than he, had granted power and favor to them sometimes in greater quantity than she had shown him . . .  So what was it about this man?  Why did  this BeastMaster evoke such strange feelings in her, without even being aware of it!?!  She reacted to the maelstrom of emotions and impulses as she always did: by responding with harsh looks and words.

"Do not forget where your duties lie, BeastMaster," she told him coldly.  "The witch guards her wood.  You must guard mine."

And then she was gone, vanished from the night as if she had never been.  Dar shivered as a wind swept hard against them, tossing the grass and the leaves of the trees around them.  He looked at Sharak, feeling the eagle's sudden unease against his mind.  "This witch . . . she is the friend you mentioned?"  Sharak's mind gave him a wave of assent that would have been a nod in a human.  "And Curupira knows her?"

Sharak moved on his perch, as if unsettled.   They met once, long ago.  They did not meet ill.  Curupira gave her the ability to speak with animals, as reward for caring for those animals when she did not know they already had a guardian.

Dar frowned.  "This witch . . . she is immortal.  And a BeastMaster, too?"

She was the first to be given such power by Curupira, but she is not a BeastMaster.  Her duties were given to her by herself, not any spirit.  But immortal . . . that she is, yes.

Sharak looked away, but Dar could feel the echo of the emotions that washed over the eagle.  Sorrow, regret, frustration and . . . guilt?  The BeastMaster shook his head, confused.  "There is more that you're not telling me."

Sharak looked at him, and in his night-shadowed eyes lay the weight of many millennia of life.   There are some things you have no need of knowing, young one -- and some things I do not wish to remember, let alone share.  I pray you, be content with what I have told you thus far.

Dar sighed, but nodded.  "Some secrets are not meant to be shared by anyone at all," he murmured.  He settled back onto his blanket and laid the staff beside him.  "She won't hurt Tao or Miren . . ."

Curupira? Sharak asked.   No.  Her anger is as much at herself as at Ketzwayo, for taking what she considered too long to stop him.  But none of it is truly towards you or Tao.  And angry or no, Curupira would not harm an unborn life or the one carrying it.  I rather think it's safe to say that she protected the girl once or twice while Miren was not being a threat.  He chuckled, a sound that emerged from his throat as strangely small squeaks for a shape such as his.  Dar smiled in agreement; he had been thinking along the same lines.   Besides, Sharak added,  Ruh is watching over them.  She will respect his opinion if not yours or mine.

Dar chuckled and agreed, though it occurred to him to wonder why the demon Curupira would not respect the opinion of the eagle.   Perhaps because they have known one another longer than she has known any other creature?  . . . Except this witch . . .?  He pushed those thoughts out of his head and concentrated on relaxing instead.

As the BeastMaster settled back slowly into sleep, the great black eagle looked out into the night, remembering and anticipating and worrying.  Sharak did not sleep for a long time.

~*~*~*~

Dar didn't say a word the next morning, or any other, when he saw Tao and Miren walk a little closer together, or touch in that casualness reserved for those sharing intimacy.  He grinned fit to break his face, as Ruh observed dryly, but he didn't say a word.  Tao and Miren both chose to ignore those looks as Dar had ignored theirs before that night, but it was done lightheartedly.  Indeed, everything in the following weeks seemed to be done lightheartedly, with an ease and relaxation sustained by distance from Terron lands and the nights Dar would graciously "scout ahead."

Miren's belly continued to grow, and her companions, both human and animal, took as much delight as she did from the increasing activity of the child in her womb.  They debated whether it would be a boy or a girl, what she might choose to name either one, but Miren was undecided about which one she wanted more.  Just as she had been unable to decide, while still in the camp, which would be worse to have.  All she knew was that her child would be born free -- that was all that mattered to her for now.

It took six more weeks to reach the forest that Sharak had told them of, some of that over rough mountain terrain, but to the travelers, Tao and Miren especially, it seemed like an eye-blink.  They crested a hillside early one afternoon and found themselves looking down at a small village nestled between a small lake and a large forest.  Sharak circled above them and called out in approval.  Miren looked at Tao, who smiled and looked at Dar.  "Is this it?" the scholar asked.

Dar nodded, smiling.  "Sharak says there's no mistaking it, though he doesn't remember the village being here."  He glanced up at Sharak and added dryly, "It's been a while since he paid a visit."

Sharak's  skreee! sounded suspiciously like an impolite answer.

It was time for the nooning meal when they reached the village; most people were heading for their homes, but they greeted the strangers warmly.  Probably more warmly due to Miren's presence, Tao thought with a smile, than they might have otherwise.  One matronly but still quite lovely woman, who named herself Eleni and keeper of the local tavern, insisted on feeding them.  She wouldn't hear of payment.  She said with a fond smile that she well- remembered her own pregnancies and the appetite she had had.  Then she sat them down at a worn table and piled food in front of them.  It wasn't long before she asked where they were headed.  At their reply, her eyes darkened with a mix of concern and wariness.  "What's your business there?"

"Just curiosity," Tao lied smoothly.

A man at another table overheard and frowned heavily at them, specifically Miren.  "The forest's no place for a woman, especially one with child," he advised.  He was a big man, with a gruff voice that matched his appearance, but his eyes were gentle and full of genuine concern.  "Some say the place is haunted.  All I know is, those who go in there generally do not come back out.  At least, not whole -- or not sane."

The three travelers exchanged confused looks.  Sharak, who had found an unobtrusive perch on a nearby roof, listened through Dar and responded.   Ask them for more detail.  This is the right place, and Curupira would have steered us clear if it were so changed as that.

Dar wryly answered that he had been intending to ask for more detail, but Tao beat him to the actual request.  "Don't know," the man said.  "But the place is not for mortal eyes.  We hunt at the edges, but those who wander deep into the Wood say that there are strange things there -- and no one can find their way to its heart more than once."

"It's the Witch's doing," another man, seated beside the first, said.  "The Wood is cursed."

Eleni swatted at the speaker with a towel.  "Stop that this instant, you old fool.  I'll not have you frightening the poor children."  She looked at them and shook her head.  "Don't you listen to him.  The only ones who have a bad time of it in that Wood are the ones who enter with ill-will."

"A man's gotta eat," the second man said sulkily.

Eleni glared at him.  "And since when has that been Chino Blackhair's concern?  He went hunting for trophies, not food.  I warned him, but the fool wouldn't listen."  She sighed and seated herself at the table with the travelers.  "If you mean no harm, you'll come to no harm," she told them.  "But if it's trophies or adventure you seek, I advise against it."

Dar smiled reassuringly at her.  "We mean no harm to anything in the forest, or outside of it."

Eleni smiled back.  "Well then."

The first man snorted.  "Been nice knowing you."

Eleni glared at him, stood and swatted him over the head.  "Silence, husband."  There was both fondness and irritation in her voice.  She looked at Dar, Tao and Miren as the man rubbed the back of his head humorously.  "Finish your meal and I'll pack up the extra for you.  It's best to see the forest in the daylight, especially to find your way back out again."

The three travelers exchanged a look but said nothing.  As they prepared to leave, Dar noticed a boy-child, no more than eight summers old, watching them with large eyes.  He smiled at him and the boy came forward.  "Are you really going into the Wood?" the child asked.  His voice was hushed and he looked over his shoulder to be sure no one overheard.

Again, the three exchanged a look.  "We are," Dar said, keeping his voice low as well.

The boy's eyes widened, and there was delighted fear on his face.  "Aren't you afraid of the Witch?  And the Hidden Folk?"

Tao's eyebrows rose.  "Should we be?" he asked lightly.

The boy frowned and sighed heartily.  Miren was amused as the rest of them, and hid it just as well.  "Not really," the boy said, sounding disappointed.  "Or at least, Gram says not."  He added hopefully, "But Gran says there's no way of knowing for certain."

Dar smiled, reminded of himself at this age.  Always seeking adventure, a thrill, something to be afraid of but not really.  It made braving the "dangers" so exciting.  He chuckled, but decided to humor the boy on the chance they might get the information he could feel Sharak was anxious for.  "We have not heard of this Witch -- or the Hidden Folk.  Can you tell us?"  The boy nodded eagerly.  "Thank you.  What's your name?"

"Shallan," the boy answered.  "And I can tell you all about the Mad Witch of the Wood.  Gram's been telling me stories since I was a babe."

Dar blinked.  "Mad Witch?" he repeated, and shot a look at Sharak's form.  The eagle remained silent in his mind.

Shallan nodded.  "That's what we call her.  Gram says she lives between worlds, never really seeing what's there, but she's the one who protects the Wood.  Gram says she placed a spell on it a  long time ago, and all the creatures in the wood see her as their queen, or their own Gram."  He lowered his voice further, his eyes wide and delighted as he confided, "Gram says she met her once, when she was a little girl.  She said she got lost deep in the forest, and suddenly these creatures came out, and she was scared but not really, cause  her Gram had told her only bad people got hurt in the Wood, and just when she was sure they were gonna  eat her or do something terrible, this really old man made everyone go away and then the  Witch came out."

He took a deep breath -- finally -- and rushed on.  "Only Gram didn't know she was the Mad Witch, cause she thought she'd be real old, but she wasn't.  Gram says she doesn't look any older than  her," he nodded at Miren, "and she's real pretty, but her eyes are weird cause they see right through you.  And the Witch just looked at her and smiled, and took her hand and started walking, and then she let go of her hand and suddenly Gram was back on the edges of the wood and when she looked back --" he paused for great effect (quite successfully), "-- the Witch was  gone and the woods were all different."

The three travelers looked at one another and then back at the boy.   Sharak? Dar asked.   Does this sound familiar to you?

The eagle was silent for a moment, then said, almost to himself,  It cannot be anyone else . . .

Dar looked back at the boy.  "Thank you, Shallan.  We know what to expect now."  Actually, they didn't, but Dar suspected that the boy could go on, quite happily, for the rest of the day.  From the looks on Tao and Miren's faces, they agreed.

They started to head out of the tavern, but Shallan ran after them.  "Can I go with you?" he asked excitedly.  "I wanna see the Witch myself, and the Hidden Folk, and --"

Dar shook his head.  "The Wood is no place for such a young one, not without his parents by him."  He tousled the boy's hair lightly.  "But we'll tell you any stories we find."

Shallan did his best not to pout as the strangers walked out of the tavern and started towards the Wood.  He was eight summers old!  He was no child!  Besides, what if they needed a guide?  He smiled, mischief in his clear blue eyes, and started out the door.

"And where do you think  you're going?"

Shallan turned to face the voice.  Eleni stood with an eyebrow raised, her own blue eyes amused and telling him that she knew  exactly what he was thinking and it was no good to argue.  Shallan sighed with a weariness that only children can muster.  "Nowhere, Gram," he muttered.

Eleni smiled and swatted him lightly as he returned to the inside of the tavern.  Then she looked pensively out the door and watched the strangers walk away.  She watched them for a long time, her gaze diverted briefly by the eagle that appeared in the sky overhead, winging in the same direction.  She had a feeling that there was more to that group -- especially the fair-haired boy -- than met the eye.  Perhaps they would be all right after all.

(continued)

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