Part 17 (1/2)

”They're here!” Talen shouted. ”Behind the old house!”

Nettle's eyes went wide. Talen motioned for Nettle to take one side; he'd take the other. Nettle nodded, and then they both approached the old house. It was the first place Talen's father and mother had built. Talen had slept in it now and again until a snake had come wiggling through the ceiling one night to land on him. Such were the hazards of sod roofs. Now it was only used to store things and shelter the dogs who had dug their warren underneath the old floorboards.

Talen and Nettle split apart, giving the house a wide enough berth, positioning themselves so that each covered two of the house's four walls.

”Nothing,” said Nettle.

Where could they have gone? Talen realized he'd given the creature the opportunity to slip in the front door of the house both this and the time before.

He swung his bow and pointed it at the door.

”Open it,” Talen said to Nettle.

River called out from the house. ”Talen? What's going on?”

”We've got them in the old house!” he yelled back.

Talen nodded at the door. ”Go on. Open it.”

Nettle looked at the door. ”Right,” he said. ”Cover me.” Then he grabbed the handle, shoved the door in, and stepped back.

”There's no use hiding,” said Nettle. ”Come out where we can see you.”

Nothing moved.

”Queen,” Talen called, hoping that she hadn't already been killed by the creatures.

A few moments pa.s.sed, and then Queen wriggled out of the dog warren and came to him.

All this time in the warren, Talen thought, and not one bark. Something was very wrong. It was if the dogs were blind and deaf.

”Stu, girl!” Talen said to Queen and pointed at the open door. ”Stu!”

Queen looked at the house and sniffed, but then she turned away and came to him wagging her tail.

”Are you sure it went in there?” Nettle asked.

Ke and River walked out into the yard, Ke with nothing but his underclothes on. ”What are you hollering about?”

”We've got ourselves a hatchling,” said Nettle.

”Two,” said Talen.

”Where?” Ke demanded.

Talen pointed at the open door, and to his horror, Ke walked right in.

Ke looked around, turned, and held his hands out. ”Nothing in here,” he said. ”Goh, you're an idiot.”

But Talen had seen them. Right here. Where else could they be? Then he looked at the dog warren, and everything came clear.

”They're underneath,” he said to Nettle. ”With the dogs!”

Talen ran to the hole where the side of the house met the ground and pointed his arrow into the blackness.

”Bring the torch.”

”No,” said Ke.

But Nettle paid him no mind. Talen took the torch and knelt to the side of the hole. It was definitely wide enough for the girl and boy to get through. He knew because he'd gone down himself a couple of times, but who would have thought they would be down there? He stuck the torch down as far as he dared.

It illuminated a leg that quickly drew itself back into the shadow. Talen scrambled back and dropped the torch. ”Goh,” he said. ”They've subverted the dogs.” He drew his bow and pointed it at the mouth of the hole.

”Put that down,” said Ke.

”You can't doubt me now,” said Talen.

”River,” said Ke and motioned at the mouth of dog warren with his head.

River calmly walked to the side of the house and knelt by the dog warren.

”Stop!” Talen warned. ”Get away!”

Ke's hands closed around the bow. ”Give me the bow, and shut up.”

”Didn't you see the leg?”

Ke yanked the bow from his hands.

”What are you doing?”

”Get them,” Ke said to River.

Talen watched in horror as River leaned forward, then crawled part way into the blackness of the hole. He expected to hear her cry out or be pulled entirely in. But after a few moments, she backed out and extended her hand to help a girl and then a smaller boy out. The girl had long black hair and a scar on her cheek. She looked to be about Talen's age, maybe a bit older. The boy stared off at nothing.

The girl looked at him with no fear. She looked at him like a bird might a bug. Talen noticed she was wearing River's trousers all rolled up on the leg.

”Douse that torch,” said Ke. And when Nettle didn't move, Ke s.n.a.t.c.hed it and ground its flame out in the dirt.

”What is this?” Talen demanded.

”Will you shut up,” hissed Ke. He studied the woods.

Deep in the woods someone, most likely hunters, shouted.

”Get inside,” whispered Ke. ”Now!”