Chapter 10 - Golden Kingdom

— Part III: Hunt —

It annoyed me how handsome Taio looked this morning. His hair was secured in a neat tail, which brushed against the back of his collar, his jaw cleanly shaven, and his clothing fresh. I, on the other hand, had plaited my hair without a mirror, done little more than splash my face and various parts of my body with freezing cold water, and wore the same clothes I’d slept in. We stood before Gold House, waiting on Kintle and Leed, and even in the valley, the temperature was noticeably colder than usual. I tried not to let anyone see me shiver, but Omira took one look at me and offered me a heavy garment.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“Take it.” She tossed it at me, and it would have fallen to the ground if I hadn’t caught it. “It will be even colder in the mountains, and the last thing we need is your fingers falling off.”

Quite suddenly, I wished I had thought to pack my warm gloves from home. I’d just have to tuck my hands into the sleeves of this coat. But once I pulled the garment on, Omira said, “Check the pockets.”

I pulled out a pair of knitted gloves that looked exceedingly warm. “Omira,” I protested. “You should have these.”

She held up a pair that looked similar to mine. “I have my own.”

Kintle and Ngaro appeared a few yards away and paused to speak. When they embraced, I looked away to give them privacy, busying myself buttoning the coat and adjusting my weapon belt and pack over it. I glanced up at the gray sky and was about to suggest we fetch Leed, when he came strolling out of Gold House, carrying wrapped parcels. He handed one to each of us. “Food for the first few days,” he said when he handed one to me. “Put it in your pack.”

I did so, rolling my shoulders under the weight of the newly heavy pack. I didn’t like traveling with a heavy pack, but the item had a quick release clasp if I needed to shed the weight. Unfortunately, I also knew the food would not last long, so I should probably relish the extra weight while I had it.

“Kintle!” Leed called. He said something else, but I didn’t catch it. Whatever he said made Taio and the other Zulenii laugh. I remembered how everyone had teased Taio and me when we’d first realized our feelings for each other. I made the mistake of glancing at him, wondering if he remembered, but he seemed to be making a point not to look at me. He hadn’t glanced in my direction once this morning.

Kintle joined us, and it seemed natural for Taio to take the lead. Omira walked beside him, Leed and I were in the middle, and Yung and Kintle brought up the rear. “We will take the air boat to the summit of that rise,” Leed told me, pointing to the land that sloped up behind Gold House.

“There’s another air boat?”

“I have sentries keeping watch in all directions,” Leed said.

This air boat was much like the one on the western side. The platform at the top, however, did not overlook a river. Instead, there was a fort-like structure situated there and several men patrolling the perimeter. The sentry at the air boat dock brought a hand to his chest when we stepped off. The others gave the same salute as we walked on, passing the fort. Fields of harvested crops extended almost as far as I could see. If I squinted, I could just make out stretches of brown grass and stunted trees, all gradually sloping upward in the distance. Miles away were very high peaks, and I hoped we would not have to climb them. But, to my surprise, about an hour after we left the fort, Taio turned us somewhat south, away from the mountain range.

“I thought we would stay near those mountains,” I said to Leed.

“We have to cross the east river,” he said. “Those tall peaks and the river form natural barriers. The Hollows will be on the other side.”

“Are they gathered there like on the west side of Zleyval?”

“I suppose we will see, but in the past that hasn’t been the case. There’s not a natural bowl on this side as there is on the west.”

For the next several hours we navigated the uneven terrain. We climbed upward for an hour then tried not to tumble down for the next hour. My calves burned on the way up and my thighs burned on the way down. I missed the flat terrain of Earsleh’s outerlands. I kept an eye on Leed, ready to help him or ask Taio to stop if he faltered, but Leed had no trouble keeping up with us. He used a walking stick for extra support, and I vowed to look for one for myself when we stopped for the day. I knew Taio would push hard this first day—he’d push hard every day—so I didn’t expect to stop until we made camp. I ate some bread as I walked and ran behind a tree to relieve myself then had to run to catch up again. Taio never looked back, but I saw his head turn regularly from side to side. Like the rest of us, he was keeping a close watch for Hollows.

The sun was low in the sky by the time we reached a wide, fast-moving river. A small wooden structure that looked surprisingly well-maintained for being so far out of the way, stood in a copse of trees on one side of the river. Yung banged on the side, and when we heard nothing moving inside, lifted the door, revealing a boat suspended from ropes.

“Let’s get it down and in the water before we lose the light,” Leed ordered.

“Wait,” Taio said. Though Leed was undisputably our leader, we all stood still. Taio put a hand on Leed’s shoulder and drew him aside. The two spoke in low voices for a few minutes, and when they returned, Taio removed his pack.

“We’ll camp here for the night and cross in the morning,” Leed said.

I nodded my approval. If most of the Hollows were on the other side of the river, we’d be safer sleeping on this side tonight.

“Three watches,” Taio said. “The first is Kintle and myself. The second is Mara and Leed. The third is Omira and Yung. Bed near your watch partner.”

Leed translated for me, though I’d understood most of it. I pushed down the disappointment I felt at not being on watch with Taio, especially because it meant not sleeping near him. On the passage from Earsleh to Zulen, Taio and I had always slept beside each other. He’d shared his coat and his body warmth with me. Of course, he’d kept me close because he didn’t trust me, but I’d become accustomed to sleeping near him. I supposed that deep down I’d been hoping to do so again on this hunt. Not only did I miss his company, I hoped to talk privately with him. Mayhap his anger at my betrayal had cooled. But if the rest of the trip was anything like today, Taio would be keeping his distance.

After we removed the boat from the shed and readied it for the morning, Leed chose a flat, somewhat sandy area for the camp. I appreciated the sand as it would make for a softer sleeping surface than the rocky land further from the river. He put his bedroll down, and I placed mine in the same area. The others placed theirs as well, making something of a wide circle.

“No fire,” Taio said. “It will only attract trouble. And keep as quiet as possible. I don’t want Twilight Men waiting for us on the other side in the morning.”

We all muttered agreement and sat on our bedrolls, eating as Leed detailed the plan for the next few days. Omira sat near me and translated, so there would be no misunderstandings of the details.

“Once we cross the river,” Leed said quietly, “we must be constantly vigilant. We stay on the higher ground because the Twilight Men are mostly in the valleys and lowlands.”

I remembered that before we’d begun our journey from Earsleh to Zulen, Taio had explained we couldn’t cross over the border via the mountains as once we descended into the valleys, we’d be killed by the Hollows concentrated there.

“There are fewer Twilight Men at this elevation, so our task may take longer, but safety is paramount. We’ll find a spot that shows some evidence of Hollows—footprints, a fresh kill, a lingering stench—and we’ll set a trap. Mara and Taio will lure the Hollows into the trap, and the rest of us will have different tasks in deploying it and subduing the Twilight Men.”

Taio raised a finger, but Leed shook his head before Taio could object. “Mara has had the most experience fighting Twilight Men, Taio, and if something goes wrong, she won’t hesitate to kill them. That’s good advice for all of us. We’d like to capture two Twilight Men—ideally three. But if there’s any danger, we kill them and lay a new trap.”

“How will we bring them back?” I asked in rough Zulenii.

“We’ll bind their hands and chain them together.” Leed motioned to Taio, who lifted a large chain from his pack. Yung and Kintle did the same. I was tired and I hadn’t been carrying a fourth of the weight the men had been carrying. I didn’t know how they weren’t falling over at this point.

“I have hoods we’ll put over their faces,” Omira said. “They can still smell but not seeing us seems to help to dull the bloodlust and gives us another layer of protection from bites.”

“At night, we chain them to trees and set a watch over them,” Yung added.

“If we’re fortunate,” Leed said, “we’ll capture some tomorrow or the next day. I don’t want to get too far from Zleyval because the farther we move them, the more dangerous it is for us.”

“And you’re really going to bring Hollows into Zleyval?” I said in my own language, knowing everyone could understand. “Taio told me you’ve done it before, but it seems incredibly dangerous.”

“Leed never brought them into the city,” Taio said. “They were housed at the arena, which is above the city, partly carved into the rock, south of the air boat landing and overlooking the lake. We rarely use it any longer. We’ll bring the cure and the healers to the arena to treat the Twilight Men.”

My face felt warm from having Taio’s full attention on me for so long. I thought that must have been the most he’d said to me since that night I’d confessed about knowing my father was sending an army. But his words also reminded me of something else he’d said about Leed—that Leed had seemed to enjoy causing the Hollows pain. I believed Taio saw Leed’s actions in this light, but I also understood the Zulenii more than I had before I’d lived among them. They were an empathetic people, and I admired that. They revered nature and all life. They valued kindness and compassion and, of course, loyalty. We Earslehens were a more violent people. Before the red vein virus, we raised animals for slaughter and routinely sent men to fight wars with other kingdoms.

I glanced at Leed now, wondering if he was truly cruel or if he just hadn’t had the compassion the Zulenii did, a compassion that extended even to Hollows.

And then I wondered if the Hollows deserved compassion. What criteria determined which creatures were granted care and concern? For the Zulenii, I thought the answer must be sentience, or the capacity to experience emotions and feelings like pleasure and pain. Mayhap that had been what Leed had been testing—whether or not the Hollows were sentient. Taio seemed to believe that they were, and if he was right, I wasn’t certain what that meant for me. I’d killed dozens of Hollows over the years. Was I a murderer or were my actions defensible because I’d been defending myself and others?

And what about the Hollows we would capture on this trip? Was testing the cure on them justifiable because it might save all humanity or were we merely using them against their will? I had no idea what the effect of the cure might be. It might be negligible, but then it also might hurt the Hollows or kill them. And if it did nothing, and we were back where we started, what happened to the Hollows we captured?

It was too dangerous to keep them alive, if their state of being could even be called life.

My head was spinning, and I offered to go to the river and fill the canteens for the night. I collected them and made my way to the riverbank. The water was quite shallow at the edge, so I removed my boots and waded in until the water reached my calves. Just beyond that point, the bank dropped off precipitously, and the river was too deep to see the bottom. The water was absolutely freezing, but my feet were sore, and I reasoned the cold would numb the ache. The sun had dipped below the mountains in the distance, and as I lowered the first canteen into the water, I heard the chittering call of insects welcoming the night. Strange not to hear music and laughter. I draped the first filled canteen over my arm and lowered the next. Everything here was so quiet. I really must have become used to living in—

Something pushed past my bare foot. Out of habit and training, I stifled a scream, but as I moved to jump back, the thing grasped my ankle. I had an instant to recognize the grayish outline of a bony hand wrapped around me before the thing yanked hard. I lost my balance and went down with a splash. Even as I kicked and flailed, the hand pulled me under and deeper into the river.

The freezing cold water closed over my head, but I didn’t allow myself to panic. Instead, I kicked out viciously, freeing my ankle and hitting the Hollow that had been holding me in the head or chest. I used my arms to push myself up, but even without the Hollow gripping my foot, I was being held down by the now water-logged coat I wore and the several canteens I had draped over my chest. My lungs began to burn, and I fought against the weight I carried. I opened my eyes to see if I’d made any progress, and the face of the Hollow popped into view. He or she—I couldn’t tell—floated before me, dark mouth open, eyes bulging, strings of hair swirling about its gray face.

I struggled harder, and the thing lunged at me, biting my shoulder before I shoved it away. Something else grabbed me from above, and I began to thrash about. How many of them were there? My head came out of the water, and Taio yelled, “Stop fighting! It’s me.”

I would have sagged and allowed him to drag me out, but the Hollow was still in the water with me—with us. I tried to tell him, but I couldn’t make my lungs take in enough air to speak. Taio had a firm grip on me, under my arms, and he was dragging me back toward the riverbank. Yung splashed into the water, screaming something, and the Hollow rose up and reached for my ankle again.

I made a sound that was barely human and tried to curl my legs up into my body. I was too late, though. The Hollow’s cold flesh brushed mine. And then Yung lowered his weapon, hitting the Hollow on the arm. The monster turned on Yung then, rising up and out of the water, and Yung swung his weapon again, this time hitting the Hollow in the head. Taio dragged me back just as Omira joined Yung, swinging her weapon too.

Taio released me on the riverbank, pushing me into a sitting position before coming around to study my face. I sputtered and coughed as another set of hands grabbed at the canteens and pulled them over my head.

“Breathe, Mara. Breathe.”

I was trying, but my chest hurt so badly.

“Get her on her knees,” Leed said. “Pound her back.”

I shook my head. I didn’t want anyone pounding any part of me, but Taio jerked me to my knees and someone else hit my back. I coughed and spit out river water. Another thud to my back, and I spit out more. Before whoever was hitting me could do it again, I held out a hand and croaked, “No.”

I was spared the last blow but not the rough treatment. Someone, not Taio, since he was at my side, pulled off my weapon belt and ripped open my coat, practically wrenching my arm as he tugged it free. I took a sputtering breath, aware it felt good to be rid of the weighty, water-laden coat, but then I began to shake. My body shook violently, and I clamped my arms about myself to try to quell the tremors. Taio stood, swept me up and into his arms, and carried me back toward camp.

“Open the boat shed,” Taio ordered Leed, who was walking beside him. “Start a fire.”

“A fire is too dangerous,” Leed argued.

“It’s a risk I’ll take.”

My teeth chattered so loudly I didn’t know if anything else was said. I doubted it. Leed might have been given tacit authority on this mission, but Taio was the one who was really in charge. If he went against Leed, so did everyone else. I tried to burrow into Taio’s warmth, but he set me down. My legs would have given way if he hadn’t held me up. Then something dry and heavy came around me—my bedroll, I thought. It eased the cold just a little. Taio lifted me again, and I closed my eyes, trying to save my energy. The shivering was sapping me of all strength.

“Stay awake, Mara,” Taio said.

I made a sound of assent before closing my eyes again. When I opened them, I was inside the boat shed and could smell the smoke of the fire. Clever to start the fire in here and not in the open. Taio laid me on the ground of the shed, the bedroll directly under me, then pulled at my leggings.

“Wh—” I managed.

“You are freezing. I must get you out of these wet clothes.”

I tried to help him, but my legs were too heavy. He pulled me up and into a sitting position, and my eyes popped open. “Taio!”

He had his hands on the hem of my tunic, but at the tone of my voice, he hesitated and looked at my face.

“I’m b-bit. I-it b-bit me.”

His blue-green eyes went very dark blue. “Where?”

“H-here.” I tried to touch my shoulder, which hurt more than the rest of me.

“Let me see.” Taio pulled the tunic over my head, along with my undergarment so I sat naked and shivering on the bedroll. Then he turned me toward the fire and put both hands on my upper arms. His eyes were intent on my shoulders until finally, he reached out and traced an oval pattern on my skin.

I closed my eyes. This was the end. I’d never know if the cure had worked. I wouldn’t be able to stop my father from sending the army. I’d never see my mother or Highcastle again. I’d never be in Taio’s arms again.

“It didn’t break the skin,” Taio said.

“W-what?”

“Look.”

I did. I turned my head to peer at my too-pale shoulder. I could see a dark pink oval where the creature had bitten me, but Taio was right, it was just a bruise, not a bite. I touched it, trying to ensure the flesh was unbroken. Taio stood so I could see in the firelight. “Its teeth c-couldn’t get through the-the layers of clothes,” I said.

“Thank the gods I made Omira give you that coat.”

I looked up at him. The coat had been from him? Of course it had. He thought of everything, and he’d probably worried I wouldn’t accept the coat if he offered it and my stubborn pride would lead to me freezing on the mission.

“W-what are y-you...” That was all I had the strength to say, but I gestured faintly to him because he had his own coat and shirt off.

“These clothes are wet,” he said, prying his boots off, then shedding his trousers. Even though I was blue with cold and half-drowned, I couldn’t tear my eyes from Taio’s naked body as he gathered all the wet clothing, walked across the shed, and handed it to someone at the door. He returned carrying another bedroll. He spread it out on the other side of the fire then moved to lift me.

I shook my head. I was not a baby who needed to be carried. But when I tried to stand, my legs would not obey. I barely made it to my knees before Taio lifted me and settled me on the dry bedroll, throwing it over me. Then he took the wet one, hung it across the side of the shed to dry, and walked back to me.

“Move over.”

I didn’t ask why. I knew it was to make room for him, and I knew it was so we might share body heat. I was dangerously cold. I understood that. My thoughts were fuzzy, I couldn’t feel my extremities, and I couldn’t make my body do what I wanted. I needed to get warm. And fast.

Taio slid in beside me, pulling me against him and wrapping his arms and legs about me. He tucked the bedroll around us both then let out a sigh. I continued to shake, but I felt the first tendrils of warmth seeping into me.

I buried my face against the tattoo on his chest and took a hiccupping breath. He smelled familiar and enticing. Was I wrong—now that I knew I wasn’t bitten—to be slightly thankful that Hollow had been in the water? Yes, that was very wrong. And still, I couldn’t seem to stop smiling through my chattering teeth.

* * *

I’D WANTED TO TALK to Taio when we had a moment alone. That night would have been the perfect opportunity, but when I’d finally stopped shivering, I’d fallen asleep. I’d tried to fight it, but my body was simply exhausted. I started awake once in the night, afraid I was being jerked under water again, but Taio had simply tightened his grip on me and murmured, “I have you.”

I’d breathed in his scent and gone back to sleep.

When I woke, the fire was out, and Taio was not in the bedroll with me. I sat, pulling the fabric around my nakedness to ward off the chill. I put a hand to my shoulder where I’d been bitten, checking once again that the skin was unbroken. The spot was tender but whole. I didn’t want to think about how close I’d come to death or how close I would probably come to it again today.

“Mara?” came a female voice. The door opened, admitting the gray dawn. “Oh, for once you’re awake.”

I scowled at Omira then brightened when I saw she carried a tin cup with steam coming off it. “Tea?”

“Yes. I thought it might thaw out any parts of you my brother didn’t manage to warm.”

I felt my cheeks heat and averted my eyes when I took the mug. I knew she was teasing. Taio had only done what anyone would do to warm up a freezing person—stripped them of wet clothing, built a fire, shared body heat. Had he needed to share his naked body heat with me? Decidedly not. He might have just put his bedroll close to mine or had me sleep between himself and Omira. His way was faster and more effective, and—dare I hope—a sign he still wanted me? If he hated me, he wouldn’t want to hold my naked body pressed to his, would he?

“Are my clothes dry?” I asked.

She pulled the bedroll Taio had hung inside the shed down and began to fold it. “Yes. The coat is still a bit damp, but you will not need it today.”

“Why not?”

She glanced at me. “Taio says we will stay here another day to allow you to recover.”

“Oh, no. I do not need to recover. I’m perfectly fine. Tell him to pack up camp and be ready to go in a half an hour.”

“You do not give the orders,” Taio said from the doorway.

I jerked to face him and saw his gaze drop. Belatedly, I realized that the bedroll had slipped, exposing the swell of my breasts. I jerked it up again. “And you do not get to keep everyone on this hunt longer than necessary to coddle me. I’m perfectly fine.”

“You almost drowned last night.”

“But I didn’t. I owe you and Yung my thanks and my life. I won’t show my gratitude by making everyone lie about and waste a day.”

“Mara—” Taio began.

“She’s right,” Omira said quietly. We both looked at her. This was not the first time Taio and I had a disagreement, but it was the first time she’d openly taken a side. I was shocked it was not her brother’s. Omira pulled the bedroll against her chest almost like a shield. “We aren’t carrying extra provisions, and the snow is coming. I can smell it. If she can travel, we should go. We can’t afford to waste a day when we don’t know how long it will take to...get what we need.”

Taio looked at me. “You are sure?”

No, I wasn’t sure. I still felt tired and achy from my ordeal the night before. But I wasn’t about to let my weakness hold everyone else back. “Never more so,” I said. “Once I dress and have something to eat, I’ll be ready.”

Taio shook his head. “You are like a rolling boulder about to hit a house on the mountainside. I do not know whether I should jump in front or move out of the way.”

“Move out of the way,” Omira and I said together.

Taio rolled his eyes and allowed the door to thud behind him.

“Are you really feeling up for this?” Omira asked.

“Never better,” I said. My mother always said I’d stab myself in the foot just to make a point. Here was hoping I could make the point without cutting off any toes. Omira brought my clothing, and I dressed quickly. My Earslehen clothing had been made to dry quickly, and I was pleased that even my boots were dry. The Zulenii coat was another matter.

“It’s still damp, but you’ll be cold if you don’t wear it,” Omira said when she handed it to me. My movements would be hindered if I did wear it.

“Taio said he made you give me this coat.” I looked at her for confirmation.

She shrugged. “You did not think I was worried you’d be cold, did you?”

“No. I know you hate me,” I said only half in jest. I looked down at the coat, which was well-made. Taio must have traded or bartered something significant for it. I looked back at Omira. “I’m just wondering why someone else who hates me would make sure I had a warm coat to wear and that I’d accept it by having you give it to me.”

Omira shrugged again. “You should ask that someone else for his reasons. The rest of us are packed. Wear the coat or not but let us be on our way.”

In the end, I wore the coat. It was too bulky to fit in my pack, and I didn’t want to leave it behind. Once the sun came out—at least I hoped the sun would come out—it would dry quickly.

Kintle and Yung thumped me on the shoulder when I finally emerged. Unfortunately, it was the shoulder where I’d been bruised, so I had to try not to flinch because Taio was watching me. I gave him a sunny smile, and he turned away and shouldered his pack. Leed held out my weapon belt and my skullcrusher. While I donned those, the others lifted the boat from beside the shed and carried it to the river’s edge.

I felt a moment of uneasiness being so close to the water again. I didn’t like how murky the river was. I couldn’t see the bottom or what was hiding in there. But it was either cross the river or turn back. Surely if anything grabbed at the boat while we crossed, we could beat it off. I would not even think about the possibility of falling into that water again.

“Take the middle, Mara,” Leed said. “We need to balance the weight in the front and back.”

I nodded, put my hand on the side of the boat as though to climb in but hesitated. Taio was at the front of the boat, watching me. He raised a brow. Gritting my teeth, I climbed in, followed by Omira, who sat beside me. Taio and Kintle took the front, each with a paddle in hand. Yung and Leed pushed the front of the boat into the water then hopped into the back and used their oars to push us deeper. For a few minutes, the men struggled to direct the boat against the river’s current. Once or twice, the boat seemed to tip too far in one direction or the other. I gripped my seat and closed my eyes tight. When cold water didn’t envelop me after a while, I opened my eyes and saw the men had managed to steer us in the direction of the other side and were paddling madly to keep us headed that way. Omira had been looking over the other side of the craft before leaning back in.

“See anything in the water?” I asked.

“Just some branches and leaves,” she said. “I knew water did not kill the Twilight Men. They don’t die when they fall into the river on Zleyval’s west side. They usually sink or are carried away by the current. I didn’t know they could lie in wait under water.”

“Neither did I.”

“After what happened to you, we decided it was worth the risk of making a fire outside and boiling all the water in the canteens and what we pulled from the river for tea.”

“I didn’t think of that,” I said. I looked at the churning river. Was all of it contaminated by Hollows?

“Leed said he did not know if the disease could be passed on by drinking water the Twilight Men had been floating in. He did not want to chance it.”

“What happened to the one who—the one who tried to take me?”

“The ground is too cold to dig up, so we covered him with some rocks and branches.”

I nodded. The Zulenii were always so respectful of the dead—even dead Twilight Men.

“Omira, get ready,” Kintle called over his shoulder as his oars seemed to find purchase on the bottom of the river. We were still a little way from the bank, and though Taio and Kintle were using their oars to push us closer, when Taio jumped over the side and grabbed the front of the boat, I gasped.

Omira immediately took his place and his oar and pushed along with Kintle. I felt as though my heart might burst through my chest. Taio was in the water. It was shallow, only just above his ankles, but he was vulnerable. I pressed a fist to my mouth to keep from crying out to him to get back in the boat. Of course someone had to pull the boat ashore. Why did that someone have to be Taio?

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and Leed, said, “Keep it together, cadet.”

Those were exactly the right words. They recalled my training, and that was the reminder I needed. I was a warrior, not a weakling. I straightened my shoulders and sucked in a breath. Finally, after what seemed far too long, Taio reached the riverbank and Kintle jumped out. Together they pulled the boat onto the bank. Taio held out a hand to Omira, who took it and jumped onto the sand, head turning to look for threats. I was next. Taio took my hand, but my legs were still unsteady from my fear, and I stumbled. He caught me with both hands and lifted me down. Instead of thanking him and moving away, I put my arms around him and hugged him. He stiffened, probably hating my touch, but I was just so glad he was safe and on shore.

“Sorry,” I said, finally releasing him. Then I followed Omira to a spot where I could see the perimeter and ensure we wouldn’t be surprised by any Hollows emerging from the scattered trees on the riverbank. After I had studied the area nearby and while Yung and Kintle stowed the boat between several large boulders for the trip back, I looked up at the gently rising land before us. It would probably have been easier to stay close to the river and walk on the level land, but that would also mean we would encounter more Hollows. Hollows were not good climbers. They could climb if they were motivated by flesh. They could do anything if they were motivated enough. I’d seen them run as fast as any human and climb over each other to reach the roof of a house. They could climb those hills, and undoubtedly some were up there, roaming around for decades now.

But certainly fewer were up there than down here. I shuddered just thinking about all the monsters on this side of the river. Thousands upon thousands were between us and the border of Earsleh. But we only needed to catch a couple and bring them back the way we’d come.

“Ready for a hike?” Kintle asked, coming alongside me.

I looked at the rise again. It was a bit steeper than I would call a hike. It was more of a climb. But I gave him a confident bob of my head. “I’ll lead the way.”