“We’re in an impossible situation,” Tarik said. “We will not find these talismans without the Great Beasts. If the Devourer gets them, that will be the end of Erdas as we know it.”
“Aye, but . . .” Barlow sighed. He fixed his attention on Conor, Meilin, and Rollan. “You young ones can’t understand. You can’t imagine what you’re up against. This mission is beyond me and Monte. I expect Tarik has seen and done a lot, but it’s beyond him too. We’re talking about one of the fifteen Great Beasts. Older than recorded history. Strong enough to level this town on a whim. As comfortable on a precipice as you are in your beds. Smarter and more experienced than we can imagine.”
Briggan stepped forward to stand before Barlow, ears pricked forward and head high.
Feeling a surge of confidence, Conor stepped forward as well. “You’re forgetting who we have on our side. It’s three against one.”
Essix stretched out her wings, flapping them twice.
“You’ve got assets,” Barlow admitted. “But they aren’t all they once were. You kids need time to grow, and so do they. You’d have to see Arax to grasp it.”
“We’ll search for Arax with or without you,” Tarik said. “Without you I dislike our chances, but we’ll still try. Conor saw you in a vision for a reason.”
Essix flew to perch on Barlow’s shoulder. Jhi rose up on her hind legs with surprising grace. Briggan drew near, bit the leg of Barlow’s trousers, and tugged.
Barlow sighed, his posture slumping. He spoke slowly, his eyes on the animals. “I always knew that green cloak would come back to haunt me. I spent years in places no living man has visited before or since, but deep down, in my bones, I knew that sooner or later, that cloak would find me.”
Monte glanced at his friend. “Is that how it is?”
“I’m afraid so,” Barlow said. “We better dig our gear out of storage.”
14 RAVENS
GROWING UP, MEILIN HAD TOURED MUCH OF ZHONG. SHE had visited the Wall in the north, the east, the west, the south, and countless points in between. Thousands of miles long, the Wall enclosed much. But she had never traveled beyond it. She had never explored wild country.
In the weeks journeying with Monte and Barlow, the landscape had steadily become more impressive. What started as prairie grew into hills and high ridges, and finally erupted into mighty mountains. Sharp stone cliffs clawed at the sky, and towering waterfalls fell toward deep gorges. The lower lands were thickly forested, and Meilin caught the sparkle of lakes in the distance, underneath peaks capped in snow. Inside the wall, Zhong’s charm consisted mostly of order imposed on the natural terrain. Meilin had witnessed grand feats of architecture — temples, museums, palaces, cities. She had seen elaborate parks and gardens. She knew how water could be channeled to irrigate fields or held in reserve by ingenious dams. She had traveled on wide roads and over glorious bridges.
The splendor here was different. Untamed, unaltered, unmanaged, this beauty surpassed anything she had seen in Zhong. What building could compare to these mountains? What canal could measure up against these unruly rivers and cascades?
Meilin did not voice her wonder. She was not particularly close to any of her companions, and could not help feeling that to praise the magnificence of this wilderness would somehow diminish her and her homeland.
In spite of the remarkable sights, the trek felt long and lonely. Meilin lacked many comforts she had always enjoyed, and missed the familiarity of her family and attendants. Unwilling to get to know her companions through conversation, she relied on observation. Of anyone in the group, she admired Tarik most. He said little beyond what was needful, and had a competent bearing that reminded Meilin of her father’s best soldiers.
Monte talked ten times more than necessary. Full of jokes, stories, and idle prattle, he spoke with anyone who would listen. Barlow didn’t seem to mind — in fact he made an effort to ride near his friend, chuckling as Monte yammered about nonsense and memories.
Conor spent a lot of time with Briggan. It went beyond talking and petting — he seemed to have no fear of looking ridiculous or of insulting his spirit animal with horseplay. He threw sticks for the wolf to fetch, and ran around playing tag. They even splashed in creeks together. She had to admit that as a result, their relationship seemed to grow warmer. The connection between Rollan and his falcon was much more distant, and Essix stayed aloft much of the time.
Meilin had tried to communicate with Jhi. The day after Jhi rescued her, Meilin had felt very grateful. But their relationship had soon fallen back into the same old rhythms. Jhi was just so docile. The panda liked to play sedately on her own, but showed little interest when Meilin tried to initiate simple games of fetch or catch. Jhi listened whenever Meilin spoke, but offered little reaction. While the group was on the move, Jhi clearly preferred her dormant state, so that was where Meilin kept her.
Only one sleepwalking episode had occurred so far while on the trail with Monte and Barlow. Meilin had woken alone in the dark woods. Jhi had appeared before panic could fully set in, and led her back to the others. The walk had taken more than twenty minutes.
That had happened several days ago. Though Monte claimed they were getting closer to Arax, they still hadn’t found any evidence of the ram. This morning they had crossed a wide valley and now they were making their way up a forested slope with little undergrowth. Barlow and Monte rode in the lead. Meilin came behind them, ahead of the boys. Tarik had the rear.
As usual, Monte chattered to Barlow. “Remember that forest on the northern slopes of the Gray Mountains? It was like this one — so much space between the trees, you could practically ride at a gallop. And we found that abandoned outpost.”
“Almost abandoned,” Barlow clarified.
Monte pointed at him. “Exactly! That one guy was living there all alone. How many pigs did he have? Like a hundred! He was eating bacon for breakfast, pork for lunch, and ham for dinner. And he wouldn’t trade one for anything! What a boar, turning his snout up at us so he could hog them all. I wonder if he’s still —”
As Essix let out a cry of warning, Barlow reined in his horse and lifted a hand. Monte sat up in his saddle and looked around.
Barlow raised his voice. “We don’t want any trouble! We’re passing onward to the high country.”
In all directions, as far as Meilin could see, men came into view through the trees. One moment nobody was around them, and the next, there were dozens. Armed with spears and bows, they stalked forward together, moving intently, as if approaching dangerous prey. They wore leather about their loins and had capes of black feathers. Some had painted their faces in black and white. A few wore wooden masks.