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“Delightful. I wonder if they know each other. Morgaine travels with a murder of crows . . . She probably gets into ravens, too.” I let out a loud sigh. “Can’t we ever go anyplace where the welcome mat isn’t set with spikes or traps or deadfalls?”
Iris clucked sympathetically. “I know. I know.”
We plowed through the knee-high grass as the afternoon slipped away. The Windwillow Valley was predominantly comprised of grassy plains, and the long blades waved in the wind like a verdant current, rippling with each gust. The susurration of their movement whispered on the wind.
Away from the forest’s edge, there were few trees through the wide valley, only small scrub and occasional lakes or ponds that offered animals and travelers a place to rest and refresh. The valley plains went on for days if you were afoot, bordered on the west by the Nebulvuori Mountains of the dwarves. They opened into the Sandwhistle Desert due south.
A gust blasted past, and I could smell rain on the horizon. The clouds hadn’t journeyed inland from Dahnsburg yet. The air smelled sweet and mossy from the forest, and I had a sudden longing to just park it right here and forget about everything. Maybe just build a little house on the edge of the wood, set up shop, let Smoky give me babies, and pretend that Shadow Wing was all a bad dream. But after a few minutes spent in daydreaming, I shook my head.
“How did your visit go?” I asked Iris. “With the Great Winter Wolf Spirit? Did you find him?” The others were a little ways ahead of us. I lowered my voice so they couldn’t hear me.
She gave me a pained look. “Yes, I did. I’m not sure if it was the right thing to do. I’ll tell you later, but things don’t look hopeful. I have options, but none of them are promising, nor easy.”
Just about then, Morio stopped. “There—ahead. We’re almost to the path.”
“And how long after we enter the wood until we meet the Black Unicorn?”
Feddrah-Dahns blinked those long lashes at me. “We will be at his doorstep before the evening’s over and the Moon is up. We should rest for a moment now, because once we enter the Deep, we shouldn’t stop. It can be dangerous for travelers, especially after the sun goes down.”
I glanced at the sky. The sun was low on the horizon. We had perhaps another half-hour before dusk would hit and we’d be at the mercy of Morio’s light spell.
“Anybody bring food?” I asked, slipping my bag off my shoulder and dropping to the ground to stretch my legs. Trillian and Morio followed suit. Iris opened one of her satchels and pulled out a packet of sandwiches. I laughed. “I should have known. You always come through in the comfort department.”
As she passed the food around—thick slabs of turkey on sourdough, with freshly churned butter and slivered almonds and cinnamon cranberry sauce—she smiled ever so faintly.
“Don’t get used to it,” she said. “Who knows what the future holds? For any of us.”
“Fuck the future,” Trillian said, lifting his sandwich high. “The only thing we can be sure of is this moment, right here, right now. So eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we—”
“Don’t,” I said as a goose walked over my grave. “Don’t say it.”
He acquiesced, leaving the sentiment unspoken. As we settled into our meal, with Feddrah-Dahns munching on grass nearby, I gazed at the tree line leading into Thistlewyd Deep.
The Black Beast was waiting for us—ancient and ominous—and I wasn’t sure what the hell would happen when we met him. But our date with destiny wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I bit into my sandwich and chewed slowly as a flutter of wings rose from the nearest cedar and three ravens went winging past. It felt like a sign, but just what they were trying to tell me, I had no idea. And for once, I really, really wished I could see into the future.
Thistlewyd Deep was more than a magical forest. It was magic incarnate. As we stepped onto the path, a deep resonance hummed through the ground, singing a song as old as the world. I closed my eyes and answered, embracing the welcome that bid us enter the woodland. Wild—yes, and feral—definitely, but Thistlewyd Deep embodied the nature of the Hunt.
The path was narrow, flanked on both sides by thick undergrowth shrouding the trunks of the trees. As we journeyed under the canopy of branches and limbs, I understood what Feddrah-Dahns had meant. Darkynwyrd would meet its match in Thistlewyd Deep. This forest rocked with energy, the ground shifting beneath my feet with every step. Oh, it wasn’t a tangible shift like a quake, but every time I put my foot down, the ground seemed to roll in waves.
I bit my lip, wondering how the hell we were supposed to keep moving, with every movement shaking reality. Glancing around, I asked, “Does anybody else feel that?”
“Feel what?” Iris asked.
“The ground. Moving. Everything swirls every time I take a step.”
I glanced at the trees. The bark covering their trunks squirmed, shifting patterns. The bushes and ferns nestled at their bases shook as if a powerful wind was gusting through, but I couldn’t feel any currents against my skin that were strong enough to move the leaves and branches.
“Camille, are you okay?” Iris looked worried. She motioned to Morio. “Feel her forehead.”
As he moved to obey, I brushed his hand aside. “I’m not sick, and I haven’t lost my mind. At least, I don’t think I have. But don’t you see? All the plants are swaying to the pulse that’s racing under my feet. Like a hard-core drumbeat. Hell, I feel like I’m in the middle of one of Big Mama’s natural raves.”
They looked around, confused, then Morio closed his eyes and fell silent. Iris did the same. Feddrah-Dahns whinnied nervously. After a moment, both the sprite and the youkai nodded.
“I’m beginning to sense what you’re talking about,” Iris said. “It’s fainter for me—these are not the far northern climes that call to my blood. But I can feel the vibration of this forest.”
Morio let out a long, slow breath. “Got it. Caught hold of it and rode it for just a moment. The soul of this woodland is fluid, existing within every plant and tree, every inch of dirt, every breath of air that sweeps through. You’re not going crazy, Camille. You’re feeling the heartbeat of the Deep. You’ve connected with the wood on a soul level.”
