Chapter 14

The missing body made the surrounding shadows even more unnerving.

Up on the overlook it had been bright and sunny. Late afternoon. Down here the canopy was thick enough to draw on their darkest imaginings. It would be night before long, and anything could be hiding just out of sight.

"Defensive spells at the ready," Ren whispered. "Avy? What's out here?"

He struggled to keep his booming voice quiet.

"Depends how deep into the Dires we traveled. I'm hoping we're on the very edges of the wilder territories. Hard to say. Wyverns usually stick to higher elevations. If we're unlucky, maybe there's a vayan matron nearby? They usually only hunt at night, but we… we left Clyde out in the open. A scent like that could have lured anything. If I'd known we were on this side of the mountains, I would have made sure we posted a guard. There are wild hellhound packs out here too, but they probably would have… fought over him."

That was pretty grim. Ren saw paling faces and heaving chests, but Avy kept talking, unmindful of the effect his words were having on the others. "A lot of bear species. Way bigger and faster than the ones in our forests. Oh, and there are slipsnakes that might be strong enough to pull him up—"

"You can stop," Ren said. "A few seconds ago."

Timmons muttered under her breath, "A snake. That can lift a body. Wonderful."

"Let's stay together. Keep quiet and look for clues."

Even Theo obeyed Ren's order this time. They started forward, and she didn't doubt that each of them held a mental image of their least favorite creature on Avy's list. There were more snapped branches. Several natural pathways led away from where the body had been, but there weren't any signs of animal markings. Ren glanced up—the slipsnake idea still fresh in her mind—but the canopy was empty. The group circled back to where their satchels waited in a scattered pile.

"We have to keep looking for him," Theo insisted. "He deserves a proper burial."

Ren heard the tremor in his voice. He was saying what he thought was the right thing to say and hoping they would disagree. She decided to give him an out.

"Anything big enough to carry him away is big enough to come back and cause damage to us. You heard Avy. It will be hard enough to survive on our own. Even harder if something picks up our trail. We need to get moving and hope it doesn't follow."

"What about our stuff?" Timmons whispered.

"Bring everything," Avy answered. "We should hike as far as we can before it gets dark. Find a more defensible location. It will be easier to go through our packs when we know we're safe."

There was a silent assent from the others. She was surprised that, once more, Theo made no objections. It took a moment to understand the reason for his hesitation. He was now the outsider in their group. Clyde had been his friend. The rest of them were strangers to him and possessed a kinship he could never share. She watched him reach for Clyde's bag like it was a lifeline, then throw the extra weight over one shoulder.

Everyone followed Avy out of the clearing. He chose a path that brought them up into sunlight. It was the only warmth the day had offered them. She kept searching for signs of Clyde as they walked, but as they put that shadowed forest behind them, she secretly hoped they'd never see Clyde's body or whatever had taken him ever again.

For a while there was an almost-pleasant silence. Everyone trudged on. One foot after the other. Survival mechanisms were activating. One of their friends was already dead. It would require all their skill not to lose anyone else. Some luck, too. Ren silently promised that she'd do everything in her power to make sure no one else died. She waited a long time before edging into the first conversation she knew they needed to have. There were two important commodities out here.

Food and magic.

At night their camp would require defensive spells. The mountain passes would be particularly demanding on their magic. Other than Cora, no one was wearing proper clothing for the temperatures at that elevation. Ren had a thin coat while Theo and Avy wore cardigans. Timmons had only a long-sleeved shirt. At least they'd all worn trousers. If anyone had chosen a skirt that morning, there would have been numerous other problems to worry about.

Ren assumed the elevations they'd eventually need to climb would drop the temperature below freezing. They'd have to cast warming boons every few hours. Foot-steadying charms and magical anchors would be used in place of the climbing gear a normal pioneer would have. Every day would significantly drain their stores.

Magic could help them survive the trek, but only if they knew their starting point and made a plan. Use too much now and they'd be left exposed in the most dangerous part of the journey. Use too little and they'd struggle to reach that section alive and whole. As they wound past a patch of wildflowers, Ren decided to broach the subject.

"I've got three hundred and fifty ockleys," she announced.

There was a shift in the group. Hands drifting unconsciously to vessels. Acting the part of dutiful friend, Timmons went next. "I've got the standard two hundred. But keep in mind that my enhancement magic is free. I'll be able to add my strength to your spells as long as I'm not exhausted."

Cora Marrin nodded. "Two hundred and fifty ockleys. We should try to save my magic for injuries. Mending cuts won't cost much, but if someone tears a ligament or breaks a bone, I'll need most of what I have to help them."

Avy looked embarrassed. "Sorry, everyone. I didn't have time to get my vessel refilled. I'm sitting at seventy ockleys. We were about to go on break. Didn't think I'd need them."

Ren saw him exchange a quick glance with Cora, but the girl said nothing.

"Don't apologize," Ren said, even though she was struggling with the concept that anyone might miss their assigned refill for the month. "You couldn't have known this would happen."

Between the four of them, they had 870 ockleys. That would have sounded like a fortune to Ren when she first arrived at Balmerick, but she'd learned over the years that the more complicated the spell, the more ockleys it burned. Very few single-step spells would actually be of service to them out here. Most of what they'd need to cast would fall into a slightly more complex range. An average of 4 to 5 ockleys, if they were lucky. There were a few high-level weather reversal charms that could burn through 20 ockleys in a single casting. It really just depended on how severe conditions got—and what other threats they would face. Considering it was the Dires, they'd have to plan around the assumption that there would be numerous obstacles. After a quick calculation Ren guessed that they had about 140 spells at their disposal.

Would that be enough? Certain protective magic would have to be cast each night. Any encounter with wildlife would demand defensive magic. Feeding themselves would require traps. The passes would be particularly exhausting on their supply. Her attention—and the attention of everyone else—swung to Theo Brood. He hadn't announced his total yet. When he noticed that everyone was staring, he scowled.

"This discussion is untoward."

"Seriously?" Ren asked. "Just say the number and get it over with."

His jaw tightened. "Clyde Winters is dead. It is untoward to discuss another topic right now. There's a time and a place for these discussions. He died less than an hour ago. His body is out there. Right now. Something took him."

"Just say the number," Avy replied. "Quit whining."

There was a stuttering of footsteps. Ren looked back and saw that Theo had pulled up short, his wand raised and his eyes narrowed. "How about you try that again in a different tone?"

Avy turned, warming to the thought of violence. He slid his own crooked wand from a belt loop. Ren couldn't help thinking it felt like less of a threat with just seventy ockleys stored inside, but she knew Avy didn't care about that. She suspected he was the kind of boy who liked to end fights quickly. He backtracked toward Theo with a hungry look.

"How's this for a different tone?" he asked.

The air above them crackled with magic.