The Witch’s Blood. Katharine Corr

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СКАЧАТЬ a cave, less than a day’s walk from here. You can rest there while I seek out news of your brother.’

      Finn stood up, shaking his head. ‘C’mon, Merry. Jack’s already told us everything he knows. I can’t see the point of wasting a day walking to this cave. We need to start looking for Ronan ourselves. Leo’s probably still with him.’

      ‘I would not reject my offer of help if I were you.’ Jack’s voice sharpened. ‘You may be happy to put your companion in danger, or to rely on her protection. But the land is no longer safe for her kind.’

      Finn squared up to Jack, reaching for his sword. ‘I don’t know who you think you are, pleb, but I assure you, I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself and Merry …’

      Merry jumped up and put a hand on Finn’s arm, gently tugging him backwards. ‘Finn, please don’t. Jack’s right: we need to get our bearings. This place just isn’t what I was expecting …’ She glanced uneasily at the ashes of the harpy. ‘I think we could use a little local help. We could definitely use more information. I mean, shouldn’t we work out what we’re up against? What Ronan’s been doing since he arrived?’

      Finn’s eyes were stony. But he turned his back on Jack, brushing some dirt off his sleeve. ‘Leo wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t stopped you killing Ronan while you had the chance. So, it’s your call, Merry. Whatever you think best.’

      Merry squeezed Finn’s hand, then turned to Jack. ‘Very well. We’ll go with you – hopefully we’ll find news of Ronan and Leo. But no funny business.’ It didn’t come out right in Old English, but Jack seemed to understand what she was saying. He led the horse forward and tied Merry’s pack on to its back.

      ‘Sorrel here can carry your bags. We have a long way to go.’

      At some point, Merry had lost track of how long they’d been walking. And now it was impossible to tell where they were. The forest seemed to stretch on forever, in all directions: acres and acres of almost identical trees. Sharp-needled yews, so dark a green as to be almost black, or broad-trunked oaks, twisted with age, their leafless fingers stretching out above the narrow path. Snow lay everywhere on the ground, and as the day waned they all stumbled more and more often into deep drifts. Merry had wanted to use magic to clear the path, but Jack wouldn’t let her; he didn’t want to risk attracting the attention of the creatures, magical or non-magical, that lived in the wood. He even objected to her using witch fire to light their way. Merry, peering into the darkness between the trees, shivered. She couldn’t make out anything lurking in the shadows. But still, there was a vigilance to the forest that set her teeth on edge. Something was watching them; something that didn’t want them there. So, she hadn’t argued with Jack. Instead, they toiled on, hour after hour, even after the daylight was gone.

      At least there was a full moon tonight. It had risen high, and was now hanging in the strip of sky directly above them. Merry, trailing behind the other two, stared up at it. She wondered where Leo was, whether he was looking up at the same moon and asking himself why his sister had abandoned him. Tears clouded her vision. She stumbled into yet another deep, snow-concealed rut and plunged forward on to her face.

      Finn hurried back and pulled her out of the drift, hauling her upright and brushing the snow off her legs. ‘Are you all right?’ It was the first time he’d spoken for hours. He waited for her to nod before turning on Jack. ‘This is ridiculous. It’s almost pitch-black, we’re slowly freezing to death, we’ve been walking for ages, and we’re not getting anywhere. Where the hell is this cave you’re supposedly guiding us to? If it’s not near, we should stop to rest.’

      Jack raised his eyebrows. He whispered something to Sorrel and walked over to Finn and Merry. ‘Do you not trust me? Wizard?’ His voice was low, but the sarcasm in it was unmistakable. Finn flushed and half-stepped towards Jack, one hand raised, before abruptly turning away.

      Merry glared at Jack; he shrugged slightly. ‘Finn’s right,’ she said, ‘we should camp here for the night, if this cave is much further.’ Her limbs ached with cold, even though she was now wearing almost every piece of clothing she’d brought with her. ‘I’d really rather not lose my fingers and toes to frostbite.’

      Jack sighed.

      ‘We are nearly through the forest, though you cannot see the edge of the trees from here. The cave I spoke of is not so very far now, no more than an hour away.’ Sorrel snorted and tossed her head and Jack narrowed his eyes, staring into the shadow beneath the surrounding trees. ‘And it’s our only choice: you cannot sleep in the woods. Not if you wish to be alive when morning comes.’

      ‘I’m pretty sure I can deal with whatever this wood might throw at us.’

      Jack bent his head towards hers.

      ‘Perhaps so. But what about your friend? Would you risk him?’

      Merry glanced at Finn. He was slouched on a fallen tree trunk a few metres away, staring down at the snow. Jack had a point. Despite his earlier show of bravado, without magic, Finn couldn’t defend himself so well, and if he got captured …

      She wasn’t about to have another person she loved turned into a bargaining chip.

      ‘OK. Let’s go.’

      Jack nodded, strode over to Sorrel and began pulling the bags off the horse’s back.

      ‘You should ride.’

      ‘No. I don’t know how, and I don’t want to. I can keep walking.’

      ‘You’re shorter than the –’ Jack paused, cleared his throat – ‘than Finn and me. You’re slowing us down.’ He tilted his head, watching her. ‘I can tie you on, if you wish.’

      Merry gritted her teeth.

      ‘No, thanks. I’ll manage.’

      Luckily, Sorrel was standing quietly. There was a saddle of sorts, but no stirrups: Jack had to hoist her up on to the horse’s back. Once there, Merry had to wedge her knees underneath two horn-shaped bits that stuck out from the front of the saddle. She leant over and wound her hands into the horse’s mane.

      A howl ripped through the stillness of the forest. Sorrel shied and Merry lurched precariously. Jack grabbed the reins and drew his knife, urging Sorrel into a walk. Finn picked up his and Merry’s bags and took up position next to her.

      ‘Finn? Are you OK?’

      He didn’t reply; just dropped his head and jerked his backpack further up on to his shoulders.

      ‘Finn?’

      ‘I’m fine, Merry. C’mon, let’s get you out of this cold.’

      He didn’t sound fine.

      Merry tightened her grip on the horse. She really needed this day to be over.

      Perhaps Jack’s estimate of the distance to the cave was accurate, but to Merry it seemed like one very long hour. A couple of times she nearly fell asleep, nodding over Sorrel’s neck, catching herself just in time as she began to slip sideways. And once she thought she saw a face peering at them from the trees nearest the path. But by the time she’d blinked and straightened up to get a better look, whatever it was – if it was anything at all, other than her imagination – had gone. Finally, the trees thinned and petered out. Spread below them in СКАЧАТЬ