Hand of the Hunter

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The Razor Heart led them all the rest of that day and well into the night until they came to the hobgoblin's fortress. Much like Highwatch, most of it had not been built so much as carved out of the mountain itself. From a distance, Hweilan suspected one would not even know there was a fortress there at all, mistaking the watchtowers for crags and caves. Maaqua met them in what passed for a courtyard before the fortress's main gate.

As the granddaughter of the High Warden of Highwatch, part of Hweilan's education had been learning every tribe, faction, and leader of the mountain clans. Maaqua was both less and more than Hweilan expected. She didn't look old. She looked ancient. "Older than old dust's grandmother," Scith would've said. Even her wrinkles had wrinkles. She was small for a hobgoblin, and made smaller still by her hunched posture. She leaned heavily upon a gnarled staff, and Hweilan recognized at once her people's kinship with Gleed. Her reddish skin hung loose off her bones, and what little hair remained wafted like stray cobwebs on the breeze.

But the old crone watched them with bright, alert eyes, and Hweilan could feel power radiating off Maaqua like waves of heat from an open oven. Her very bones seemed to thrum with it.

Her clothes and robes were mostly of hide and wool. Hweilan had seen finer on peasants in Kistrad. But Maaqua wore a gold circlet on her brow. Three thornlike barbs rose from it, and two clasped around each temple. Three rubies, only slightly dimmer than Maaqua's eyes, sat in the crown underneath the middle barb.

Maaqua had supposedly once been a disciple of some half-demon whose own ambitions had caused her to get sucked into some dark level of the Abyss. Or so the tales said. True or not, Maaqua led one of the most powerful tribes of the Giantspires, and both the lords of Damara and chieftains of Narfell treated her with respect-or avoided her altogether.

Behind her stood the largest hobgoblin Hweilan had ever seen. Not a bugbear like the one they called Grunter, but a true hobgoblin. He could have easily stared Mandan eye-to-eye. Hard muscle wrapped his frame. He wore no armor-Hweilan suspected he didn't need any, for he had the cold, hard look of a seasoned warrior. During some of her first combat lessons as a child, the weapons master at Highwatch had told her, "If your enemy has the chance to hit back, you're doing something wrong." Advice Ashiin would've appreciated. This goblin looked as if he wore no armor because no enemy ever survived long enough to get close to him. The weapon on which he leaned only deepened this impression. His hands rested on the pommel of a black-iron sword, the blade of which was easily four feet long. Much like her own blades, the sword was decorated with many etchings, but instead of runes, they were in the form of dead or dying demons, and the pommel and guard of the sword itself had been crafted to look as if some demon champion lay impaled upon the blade.

The hobgoblins who had escorted them fanned out into a ring, surrounding them, leaving Hweilan, the wolf, the Damarans, Menduarthis, and the war chief at the center, just before Maaqua and her champion.

Menduarthis stepped forward and bowed. "Queen Maaqua, I present Hweilan of Highwatch… and companions."

"Of Highwatch?" said Maaqua. Her voice struck Hweilan. She'd expected a gravelly croak, something like a more feminine version of Gleed. Or perhaps the broken rasp of any old woman. But Maaqua's voice was clear and strong, and her words flawless Damaran, with scarcely an accent at all. "How recently of Highwatch?"

"I was born there," said Hweilan.

"Ahh," said Maaqua. Her voice sounded pleased, but her eyes narrowed as she studied Hweilan. "Then truly 'of Highwatch.' Perhaps one of the last living able to make that claim. The last scion of a mighty House in our presence. We are honored."

Maaqua leaned lower on her staff in a sort of bow. The champion behind her didn't move in the slightest.

"And your companions?" said Maaqua.

"Men of Damara," said Hweilan. "They came to rescue me."

"And you rescued them, eh?" Maaqua threw back her head and laughed. "Usual behavior of men. Think we need their help, but in the end, all men need a woman to undo their tangles."

Hweilan looked sidelong at Darric, who was doing his best not to scowl.

"And Menduarthis?" said Maaqua.

"We've met," said Hweilan.

Menduarthis made no attempt to conceal his pleased smile.

"Hweilan of Highwatch," said Maaqua, raising her voice for all to hear. "That is a name much spoken in the mountains of late. Word is spreading."

"Is that so?"

"It is," said Maaqua. "Those now in Highwatch are most eager to know of the last one of Highwatch."

He knows I'm back, thought Hweilan. In the Feywild, she had been protected from Jagun Ghen's attention. Hweilan could sense the presence of Jagun Ghen's minions when they were nearby, and she knew that sense ran both ways. She could sense nothing now, meaning there were none nearby. But Jagun Ghen was an ancient being, beyond her understanding. Could he sense her whereabouts over the long miles?

"An emissary came to me not three tendays ago," said Maaqua. "A Creel." She spat, and Hweilan heard many other of the surrounding hobgoblins doing the same. "At least in form. But this one slew our sentries with no more difficulty than wrenching the head off a sparrow. He stood before me, no heart beating in his chest, no blood flowing in his veins, taking in breath only to speak, and told me that the new Lord of Highwatch desires only peace with his mountain neighbors. Desires nothing more. Nothing except one thing."

"Me," said Hweilan.

"She is a smart one, Menduarthis," said Maaqua, "though not nearly so lovely as you said."

"And what did this emissary promise you in return?" said Hweilan.

"In return? Nothing. Masters like this one… reward is not in their nature. I should know. But he did promise that anyone who aided you in any way could expect future visits from the Lord of Highwatch. How did he put it?"

"A feast without niceties," said Menduarthis.

"Yes. Considering that he'd eaten an impressive amount of one our sentries and healed the wounds we'd given him, his words held a certain weight."

Darric stepped in front of Hweilan. "Surely one as powerful as Maaqua does not fear such threats."

Maaqua laughed. "See. There he goes again. Getting himself in a tangle. Stand back and shut your mouth, little boy. Your betters are talking."

Darric's face flushed and he opened his mouth to retort, but Valsun stepped forward and urged him back. "Easy, my lord," he whispered. "We must tread carefully here."

"Then why bring me here?" said Hweilan. "If you mean to turn me over to them, why not drag me straight to Highwatch?"

"See!" said Maaqua. "This one understands. She gets right to the point without all the false flattery."

Darric's flush deepened.

"You ask a good question," said Maaqua. "I have two reasons. First-and very much the lesser of the two-Menduarthis here speaks most highly of you. And even though the bastard is a constant itch on my rump, he has proved himself useful of late. His words to me are not without weight. Secondly-and here we get to the main point-Highwatch has become… a problem."

Hweilan snorted. "For you? Highwatch has been a problem for three generations."

The champion behind Maaqua scowled, but the goblin queen herself laughed. "True! Your people have often reminded mine not to reach beyond our grasp. And in turn we have allowed them the skies and steppe, so long as they remembered who owns the mountains. It was a… relationship of mutual benefit. Yes?"

Hweilan shrugged.

"But this new Lord of Highwatch… I hear things. Creel swarm the foothills like maggots on a nine-day corpse. They make for good sport. But other things now haunt the lands around Highwatch-and of late some of those things have begun creeping into the mountains. My mountains!"

"And-thus far," said Menduarthis, "we have been unable to-shall we say? — deal with the problem."

"Much as it pains me to admit it," said Maaqua, "your friend here speaks the truth. These… things have been preying on my people. Wiping out entire hunting parties. Rhan here"-Maaqua used her chin to point at the massive hobgoblin behind her-"managed to kill one of them. But we only have one Rhan."

"He didn't kill it," said Hweilan.

"Eh?"

"Your champion might have killed the body the thing wore, but the demon inside him, the true threat, that survived. And it will remember you."

Rhan pulled his lips back, revealing his tusks and yellow teeth, and snarled.

"I'd listen to her if I were you," said Menduarthis. "She knows more than her pretty face suggests. Just because you're the biggest hulk with the pointiest stick in the village doesn't mean you're immortal."

Rhan swept his black sword up in one swift motion and stepped toward Menduarthis.

"Rhan!" Maaqua said, and the champion stopped.

Menduarthis wiggled his fingers at Rhan, and a sudden breeze swept through the valley, spraying the hobgoblin champion in a cloud of dust. Another puff of wind swept it away. Menduarthis blew the champion a kiss, followed by a much less polite hand gesture.

"Boys!" Maaqua said. "You will both be silent. You can fiddle your own foolishness later when you aren't wasting my time."

Rhan growled and stepped back into his place.

"Now," said Maaqua, resuming her normal voice, "as I was saying, we have not yet-yet! — found an effective way to deal with these… things. I can't lose forty warriors for every one we take down-especially if you are right and the thing isn't truly dead."

"I am right," said Hweilan.

Maaqua gripped her staff in both hands and leaned forward, studying Hweilan through narrowed eyes. She stared a long time, then closed her eyes and inhaled.

She opened her eyes and smiled, "The Hunter has marked you."

"I am his Hand."

A murmur went through the onlooking hobgoblins. Even Rhan tore his gaze away from Menduarthis to stare at Hweilan, and he looked on her with something almost approaching admiration. The Damarans only looked confused.

"This explains much," said Maaqua. "Twelve days past, our scouts heard rumor of one of these things in our territory. Rhan led our strongest warriors to hunt and kill it. But all they found were corpses. On the way back, they found more. Five days ago… more rumor, followed by more corpses. It seems that something-or someone-is hunting the hunters."

"And doing a damned fine job of it," said Menduarthis.

"You know what these things are," Maaqua said to Hweilan, "and you know how to kill them."

"Yes."

"And how is that?"

"You let me go."

Maaqua started at that. "Eh?"

"You heard me."

"You misunderstood me," said Maaqua, a cold edge of steel in her voice. "I was asking how we might kill these things."

"You can't," said Hweilan. "I can. You want them dead? Then get out of my way."

Maaqua scowled, then went very still. "And then?"

"And then when I'm done, I'll tell Nendawen what a helpful little goblin you were."

Every hobgoblin in the valley drew a weapon. Rhan roared and raised his sword again. Uncle stepped forward next to Hweilan, black lips pulled back over his fangs and every hair on his body standing on end. The Damarans put their hands to weapons and stepped away from each other to give themselves room to draw and swing. Menduarthis stepped between Hweilan and Maaqua, hands raised between them, his mouth opening to say something he shouldn't. All this happened in an instant. In all the valley, Hweilan and Maaqua were the only two who didn't move.

"Be! STILL!" Maaqua roared, her voice echoing like thunder off the surrounding cliffs. She stood straight, no longer the wizened crone. Everyone obeyed. "The next one who so much as coughs without my leave will earn my most serious displeasure!"

The hobgoblins lowered their weapons, though they did not put them away. Jaden let out a very loud sigh, and Menduarthis lowered his hands and stepped back beside Hweilan.

Maaqua leaned on her staff again, then said, "Tell me. How is Gleed?"

Hweilan blinked and took an involuntary step back. "What?"

Maaqua chuckled. "See? Not half as smart as you think you are, girl."

"You know Gleed?"

Behind her, Hweilan heard Jaden whisper, "Who in the unholy Hells is Gleed?"

"It might surprise you to know," said Maaqua, "that I was not always the wise old husk you see before you. Nor was Gleed always content to putter around his little lake. There was a time-more than a few times, truth be told-that Gleed made Maaqua's toes tingle and beg for more."

Menduarthis gasped and his eyes went wide. He leaned in slightly to Hweilan and muttered, "That image is going to cause a few sleepless nights."

"I hold the Master of the Hunt in the highest respect," said Maaqua. "But don't think for a moment that means I'll tolerate rudeness from one such as you."

Hweilan took a careful breath to regain her composure, then said, "My apologies. Gleed is… well as ever."

"I feared as much," said Maaqua. "Ah, well. Now, back to-"

Maaqua flinched, as if something had stung her. And then Hweilan felt it too-that familiar pounding at the base of her skull. It didn't begin with a slow pulse and build as it usually did. It hit so fast that Hweilan thought she felt her back teeth pulsing.

The air a few paces to one side of Maaqua swirled in a miniature cyclone, gathering dust and grit-and something else, something darker-as it spun, taking shape. The wind burst outward like a wave. At its source stood a figure dressed in once-fine clothes gone ragged and caked with filth. It lunged, fast and hard as a tundra tiger, knocking both Rhan and Maaqua to the ground and then tackling Menduarthis.

Hweilan took three loping steps back, her hand already grasping an arrow and laying it across the bow. She fitted nock to string, raised the bow, and pulled the feathers to the corner of her eye. The runes in her bow blazed with green fire.

The figure stood, holding one arm across Menduarthis's chest, the other wrapped around his face.

Hweilan spoke the words of power, and aimed the point of her arrow. Looking beyond it, she got her first good look at the thing's face.

The arrowhead shook and faltered, and Hweilan gasped.

"Mother?"