《Sundown And Chane》 Evensmoor - Chapter 1: The Applicant Sundown tried to ignore the curious stares of strangers as she trudged through the streets of the town. The attention made her skin crawl. She was not used to people taking notice of her, much less gawking. Perhaps the locals were eyeing the state of her outfit. One of her hands fiddled with the buttons of her red-stained, white blouse, making sure they were secured all the way up to her neck. Not that she need have worried. Most people were probably ogling her legs, dressed in men¡¯s trousers, one pant leg torn open at the thigh. They certainly wouldn¡¯t be staring because of her figure. Calling her ¡°lean¡± would have been generous. Though nearly twenty-five, Sundown had the figure of a fourteen-year-old boy who had yet to hit their growth spurt. People could have been surprised at seeing a woman her size carrying a sword almost the length of her whole body. She didn¡¯t really need it, but it had come in useful the past couple of days, and was deceptively well-balanced. But lots of people carried swords in Evensmoor, so she was hardly unique there. No, Sundown could have passed for an average¡ªif bedraggled¡ªstranger, with nothing too notable about her, save for one thing: the body she was dragging behind her with a bloodstained rope. The body was not human, despite its general form. Head, arms, torso¡ªyes. But no legs, no clothing, and no face. Its skin was like diamonds, gray until it caught a bit of light. It scraped the cobblestones as it dragged along the road. The locals gave her a wide berth as she approached her destination. On a narrow street off of the main thoroughfare sat a white-walled, two-storied building with a tall brick chimney pouring white smoke into the air. The houses on either side shied away so as to leave space to walk around back. One woman had arrived in front of the house just before Sundown did. The woman glanced at her, then did a double take and backed off the step. ¡°Here to see the seer?¡± the woman said with forced cheerfulness. ¡°You were here first,¡± Sundown said. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright,¡± the woman said with a toothy smile. ¡°Go right ahead. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Sundown didn¡¯t bother arguing. She let go of the rope she was using to drag the faceless monster and walked up the steps to knock on the door. A man with long black hair answered the door with a bit more vigor than was necessary. ¡°If you¡¯re here for an appointment, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m behind. If you¡¯re here for a requisition, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m behind. If you¡¯re¡­what in the shades?¡± He stared past Sundown at the body behind her. ¡°I¡¯m Sundown,¡± she said, trying to catch his attention. ¡°I heard you were looking for an apprentice?¡± ¡°Is that a Faceless?¡± he asked with a slight tightness to his voice. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she said, trying to sound casual. ¡°I dispatched it yesterday.¡± The seer licked his lips. ¡°Ah. How, might I ask?¡± Sundown shrugged. ¡°I just snapped its neck.¡± His face was blank. ¡°I¡¯m a bloodwitch,¡± Sundown explained. Understanding blossomed on his face, then disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°Sangremancy is a very useful skill, but I need someone who can deal with shades and geists¡ªa shadentheurgist.¡± Sundown¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°I¡¯m a quick study, and I¡¯ve had experience with geists.¡± The seer gave her a kind smile. ¡°I don¡¯t need a student; I need an assistant.¡± He motioned her aside and looked to the woman who had arrived before Sundown. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Could the Faceless be of any use to you?¡± Sundown offered. ¡°I don¡¯t typically craft spells that call for Cursed as components, but a little bit of Faceless blood can be useful. Get a glass vial or two and I¡¯ll give you a fair price. Next?¡± Sundown caught his arm and held it tightly. ¡°I need a job.¡± She emphasized with a squeeze. ¡°I don¡¯t have much use for a bloodwitch,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not picky, and I¡¯m not squeamish. I¡¯ll do anything within the realm of reason for money.¡± She tried to put on a sultry, hopeful look. ¡°If you¡¯re interested.¡± He looked uncomfortable and glanced down. Then his eyes drifted to her feet, and his concern became confusion. ¡°What is¡­where is your shadow?¡± Sundown sighed. ¡°I lost it.¡± ¡°Lost it.¡± The seer stared blankly at her. ¡°You are¡­not dead.¡± ¡°I have a hearty constitution, I guess.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. You shouldn¡¯t be alive with no shadow.¡± ¡°Fascinating. I¡¯ll let you study me if you have a few coins to offer.¡± To her surprise, he considered it. ¡°Come inside,¡± he said at last. ¡°I may have a use for you after all.¡±
The seer, Aalyndr, led her into the back of his house. The center of the room featured a table, which¡ªaside from the hodgepodge of herbs, wands, crystals, shadowboxes, and tools whose use Sundown could only guess¡ªwas currently occupied with a large dark mass. A shade. Sundown eyed it cautiously. It had large white orbs for eyes, and they appeared to follow her as she walked towards the back of the seer¡¯s workshop. A tendril of darkness ran off the table towards her, and she gasped. ¡°Thereos, behave,¡± Aalyndr commanded. ¡°We don¡¯t feed on guests, no matter what state their shadows might be in.¡± The shade seemed to sigh, and the darkness retracted. Sundown relaxed, but decided to keep an eye on it just in case it tried again. Aalyndr pulled a tome off of one of the assorted bookshelves that lined his walls. ¡°What job do you have for me?¡± Sundown pressed. He thumbed through the book absentmindedly. ¡°You need your shadow back,¡± he said almost to himself. ¡°Is it all that important?¡± Sundown asked. She needed money, not a prescription. He glanced up. ¡°How many living people do you see walking around without one?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve lasted this long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He read in his book for a few more moments, then pointed to the page. ¡°Without a shadow you¡¯ll slip out of existence into the Etheric Plane.¡± ¡°Which means?¡± ¡°You die.¡± The words took a moment to impact on her brain. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got three weeks to live; the next Evernight is your deadline. Heh, ¡®deadline.¡¯¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Sundown did not smile. ¡°I can¡¯t die. Not yet.¡± ¡°A fine sentiment. I would recommend getting your shadow back.¡± Sundown pushed her feelings down, focusing on the moment. ¡°Alright. How do I get it back?¡± ¡°How did you lose it?¡± Aalyndr asked. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. I woke up one morning and it was gone. Can you help?¡± He drummed his fingers on the back of the book. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can help you with this. I¡¯m not well-versed in shadentheurgy¡ªhence Thereos behaving so poorly. And I don¡¯t know the procedure for reattaching a shadow, even if you find it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t pay for anything,¡± Sundown warned. ¡°I¡¯m looking for work. I can¡¯t afford basically anything.¡± He nodded. ¡°I guessed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m offering a deal. A¡­sort of trade of services.¡± ¡°You know something that can help?¡± ¡°I know someone that can help.¡± Aalyndr did not sound overly hopeful. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°His name is Chane. He¡¯s a shadow hunter.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sundown frowned. ¡°To be fair, he¡¯s a decent man outside of that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like my hands are clean of violence,¡± Sundown said. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t planning on working with someone¡­like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you. You¡¯ve lost your shadow. He specializes in finding shadows.¡± ¡°Specializes in taking them, you mean.¡± ¡°And hunting down shades. Your shadow would technically be a shade if it¡¯s disconnected from you.¡± Sundown waved her hand. ¡°We¡¯re sorting straw. The bigger question is, would he actually help me?¡± ¡°I said Chane is a decent man. If you set him free, I¡¯m sure he would¡ª¡± ¡°Set him free?¡± Sundown glared. ¡°He¡¯s in prison?¡± ¡°Only recently. Less than a fortnight.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Just until they figure out how to kill him.¡± ¡°Figure out¡­who is ¡®they¡¯?¡± ¡°The Hendrguard, of course.¡± Sundown cursed, and the seer raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sorry. I wasn¡¯t planning on shoving an ember down the pants of the Hendrguard.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°What do I even get paid for this little rescue mission?¡± ¡°Not dying is pretty good payment,¡± Aalyndr said. ¡°Great. I love eating ¡®not dying¡¯ for breakfast. It has such a savory punch to it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the tongue.¡± The seer shook his head. ¡°Chane is¡­not my friend, per se, but certainly someone I would rather not see dead. I¡¯ll give you three scythers for getting him out.¡± Sundown scoffed. ¡°And you get the added benefit of someone who will help you not die.¡± ¡°Potentially help me to potentially not die.¡± He held up his hands. ¡°Your choice.¡± He turned and put the book back on the shelf, then went around his workshop checking on the state of various bottles, bowls, jars, and plants that he appeared to be experimenting with. ¡°Two scythers now, two more and a pith when I bring him back.¡± Aalyndr turned back to her. ¡°You drive a hard bargain for your own life.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Take it or leave it.¡± It was a bluff, and a dangerous one, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. He pursed his lips as he thought, then gave a small laugh. ¡°Alright. Deal.¡± She shook his hand. ¡°Deal. Where do I find him?¡±
Chane was already talking to the rats. The Hendrguards wouldn¡¯t talk to him, except to try to coerce information from him. He hadn¡¯t seen a shade to speak to in almost a week, thanks to the lanterns they kept at full brightness in each corner of his cell. Other than the occasional passerby shouting epithets through the window, he had a distinct lack of conversation to pass the time. And the only thing worse than being in prison was being bored while he was there. Chane tried to remember times he had been in worse spots. There weren¡¯t many he could count. They had robbed him of clothes and dignity, forcing him to stay upright in the center of his cell by shackles on his wrists and around his ankles, so as to limit his access to shadows. Chane was not a small man, and whenever he fell asleep, he worried he would wake up to a broken or dislocated wrist. The food was bad, and the toilet was just a bucket behind him that they occasionally emptied. Oh, and they kept trying to kill him. That got on his nerves. So, he talked to the rats, just to keep himself sane. He wasn¡¯t sure it was working. Thus it came as no great surprise when one of them spoke back to him. He was working on a sonnet, something to pass the time and keep his mind sharp, when one rat poked its head under the bars of his cell and seemed to listen to his poetry. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked it. ¡°Too much alliteration? Or should I include some internal slant rhymes, just to keep it interesting?¡± The rat stood on its hind legs, and he wondered if it were deciding which part of him to nibble on first. ¡°I think you look a little worse for wear,¡± it said in a curt, feminine voice. ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± he said automatically, then wished he hadn¡¯t. ¡°I mean, your fur is matted, you¡¯ve got gashes on your back¡ªyou¡¯ve got to take better care of yourself.¡± ¡°For what? Is there some rodent royalty coming to town?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awfully sarcastic,¡± Chane said with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re the one talking to a rat,¡± it retorted. He sighed. He knew his boredom would eventually come to this. ¡°Look, do you want out of here or not?¡± the rat said, taking a few steps forward. Chane fumbled for words. ¡°You¡­ah, what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to get you out. You want out, right?¡± He looked closer at the rat. It was definitely not moving like a rat should. Its movements were jerky, and it didn¡¯t appear to be breathing. ¡°You¡¯re a wight,¡± he said. ¡°Technically I¡¯m a bloodwitch controlling a wight,¡± the rat said. ¡°This one happened to be handy. Hold on a moment¡­¡± The rat went stiff and still, and Chane had a chance to process what it was saying to him. Someone was here to get him out of prison. Finally! But who? ¡°Sorry,¡± the rat said. ¡°Guard walked by. I¡¯m not too far away from your prison. You¡¯ve sure attracted a lot of shades, by the way.¡± ¡°What do you want for setting me free?¡± Nobody was doing him a favor. Somebody wanted something. ¡°We can discuss terms later. It¡¯s complicated. I just need to know you won¡¯t run off the moment I get you out.¡± He stretched painfully. ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to stand up or hang by my wrists for the past week and a half. How far do you think I¡¯m going to be able to stagger before you catch me?¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± the rat said. ¡°Let¡¯s see about getting those shackles off, then.¡± ¡°Forget that,¡± Chane said. ¡°I need darkness. Can you turn off the lanterns?¡± The rat looked at the corners of the room. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°If you can turn off even just two of them, I can do the rest.¡± ¡°Alright. Hold tight.¡± The rat crossed the floor in a jerking fashion to the lantern in the far corner. Chane tried to crane his neck to watch, but it was too sore and stiff to get a good look. There came a slight squeak of metal, and the light in the corner dimmed until it went out. He felt the shades stir beneath his skin. They had grown languid from the constant harsh light, hiding beneath the tattoos he had created to house them. As darkness returned, they began to awaken. The rat moved behind him to the other corner, and he tried to listen for sounds of its progress up the wall. ¡°Oops.¡± A loud clank sounded through Chane¡¯s cell, and he winced at the sudden noise. ¡°The lantern hat wasn¡¯t properly secured,¡± the rat said. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°Get it turned off, quickly!¡± He tested the chains, flexing his sore shoulders to ensure they would do what he needed them to. He could hear the sound of guards in the outside room as they fumbled for keys and called for backup. ¡°Hurry!¡± The light behind him dimmed, and for the first time in a week, he felt it. Shadows. The two lanterns in front of him cast competing shadows behind him, and he felt the shades seep out of him into the darkness. The Hendrguards burst into the block, and their faces turned bleak with horror as they saw the extinguished lanterns behind him. Chane grinned as his eyes turned black. And darkness swallowed the room.
Sundown was violently kicked out of her wight¡¯s mind as something cold and sinister filled the room and ripped the rat¡¯s body apart. She jolted out of her trance-like state, gasping in agony at the sudden destruction of her wight. Confused screaming filled the air, and just as suddenly the jail was quiet again. Hurrying across the empty street, she peered into the jail¡¯s windows, but could see nothing. ¡°Chane?¡± she called. She didn¡¯t dare open the door. The door opened on its own, and out stepped a very large, very naked, very bloody man. Blood covered his torso, dripping from his arms and, concerningly, from his mouth. ¡°You are?¡± he asked brightly, staring down at her at almost double her height. ¡°Sundown,¡± she said flatly. ¡°Chane,¡± he said, extending a hand dripping in viscera. ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡± And then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the steps, unconscious. Evensmoor - Chapter 2: Terms Sundown was tending a small, smokeless fire when Chane finally awoke. ¡°Hello,¡± he said with a yawn. ¡°Is it morning, or evening?¡± ¡°Evening.¡± She did not look up from the fire. ¡°Ah. How long was I out?¡± ¡°A day,¡± she said. Then, ¡°Pardon me if I¡¯m a bit short. I had to burn quite a bit of blood to haul you away from the jail and get us somewhere safe.¡± He looked around, and saw they were in an abandoned stone house without a roof, deep within some kind of bramble. By the light of the fire, he could see Sundown had somehow acquired a marven, which lay on its stomach just outside the crumbling stone doorway. It flattened its ear feathers when he looked at it, and he got the sense Sundown had not been the only one hauling his bulk the past day or so. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have any food?¡± She pointed at the fire where he could see a small pan. ¡°Sausage. Bread and cheese in the packs. Good?¡± ¡°Good enough.¡± He tried to rise, but pain shot through his body and he fell back to his side. ¡°Here,¡± Sundown said, pulling his blanket over him. ¡°No, I want to sit up,¡± Chane said. ¡°We have to discuss terms, and I¡¯m not doing it lying down.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± She sat back and watched him, almost challenging him. He managed to prop up on one elbow, then got his legs underneath him and---and noticed he was wearing pants. Only pants. ¡°You dressed me? And¡­and did you give me a bath?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like hauling a naked, bloody giant around the countryside. I just got your clothing and other belongings from the jail.¡± He breathed through his nose. His wife would not approve of this escapade. Not that she would do much about it, but she might give him the silent treatment for a few days. ¡°Terms?¡± Sundown prompted. ¡°Yes. You said something about it being complicated.¡± ¡°It is. I¡¯ve lost my shadow.¡± Chane frowned. ¡°Uncommon. You surviving, that is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told.¡± She seemed flippant, as though she didn¡¯t fully grasp the situation. Which was likely. ¡°You do realize you¡¯re on a tight schedule, don¡¯t you?¡± She grew somber. ¡°I know what happens. I¡¯ll ¡®slip out of existence¡¯ at the next Evernight if we don¡¯t get it back.¡± ¡°Sundown,¡± Chane said. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your shadow. Your soul. Your connection to the material plane. Every dark secret, every memory you¡¯ve buried, every love or hate you¡¯ve harbored or prayer you¡¯ve uttered¡ªthey¡¯re all under the control of gods know who or what. You do realize this is serious, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t really noticed much difference. Hard to stay warm. I don¡¯t feel as much anxiety as I used to. Don¡¯t feel much of anything except¡­cold. And lights shine through me like I¡¯m some sort of geist. Not as distressing as you might think. Aside from the diagnosis of dying.¡± Chane wanted to lecture her about the importance of shadows, but he could tell she wouldn¡¯t be able to appreciate it. Possibly precisely because she had lost her shadow. Instead he said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many things that take shadows and leave their victims alive. My guess is a Thaelun.¡± She puzzled over his diagnosis. ¡°The Immortal? That kind of Thaelun?¡± ¡°Only one kind. Problem is, they¡¯re difficult to hunt, being magical, undying creatures and all that.¡± ¡°Oh. So you don¡¯t think we can get my shadow back?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Just that it¡¯s going to be difficult, dangerous, and may take some time.¡± He smiled in spite of himself. He loved a good hunt. ¡°I¡¯ve only got three weeks until the next Evernight,¡± Sundown said. ¡°What¡¯s the first step?¡± ¡°Finding the Immortal, which is simple in everything but execution. Then we worry about getting your shadow back.¡± ¡°Will we be able to reconnect it?¡± He nodded. ¡°There will probably be¡­side effects.¡± ¡°Is death one of those side effects?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll deal with it. Sausage is done.¡± She pulled the sausage off the fire with a fork and put it on a small tin plate, then sliced bread and cheese onto the plate and handed it to Chane. ¡°I¡¯m going to need seconds,¡± he said, cradling the plate in the palm of one hand. She sized him up. ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll put more on, then.¡± ¡°Meanwhile,¡± he said, ¡°let¡¯s formalize the terms of payment. I get you your shadow back as payment for getting me out of prison?¡± ¡°And we go see the seer Aalyndr,¡± Sundown said. ¡°He has the rest of my payment for freeing you.¡± ¡°Aalyndr?¡± It was Chane¡¯s turn to be puzzled. ¡°Problem?¡± Sundown asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s just, of all the people I would have guessed to have hired you to break me out, Aalyndr was not on my list. I know the man, but we aren¡¯t exactly friends.¡± ¡°Funny, that¡¯s what Aalyndr said, too.¡± Sundown turned the sausage. ¡°I¡¯m agreeable to the terms if you are.¡± ¡°Just one last term.¡± Chane took a long drink of water from his canteen, which was the size of Sundown¡¯s head. ¡°How much blood do you have on tap?¡± She closed her eyes, as though taking an internal stock of her blood levels. ¡°I¡¯m down about seven ounces from the past two days. Why?¡± ¡°Could you spare a few ounces about once a week?¡± ¡°Why?¡± she repeated with concern in her voice. Chane pursed his lips. There wasn¡¯t a good way to say it. ¡°I need blood.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Regularly?¡± ¡°Regularly.¡± ¡°Do you just¡­suck it out of my neck or something?¡± ¡°I prefer a cup, actually.¡± ¡°No fangs?¡± He lifted his lips, revealing well-maintained, normal, teeth. ¡°You can¡¯t believe every story you hear. And it isn¡¯t a curse or anything. It¡¯s a¡­quirk of my bond with some of these shades.¡± He gestured to the tattoos on his chest and arms, various animals and beasts in stylized form covering his body, as well as a blackout tattoo covering the whole of his right arm from elbow to fingertips. She didn¡¯t change externally, but her voice sounded different when she spoke next. ¡°Are those your shades? The people you¡¯ve¡­harvested shadows from?¡± ¡°Animals, mostly. I like harvesting free shades. Taking them from something still alive is¡­messy.¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine.¡± She looked away. ¡°I¡¯m not a monster,¡± Chane said, recognizing exactly how hollow that sounded. ¡°I don¡¯t kill unless I have no other option.¡± ¡°Really. And the Hendrguards back at the prison don¡¯t count?¡± ¡°To be fair, they spent the better part of a fortnight trying to kill me. And they would have killed you for freeing me. So, you¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°That makes me feel almost as good as you wanting some of my blood.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. With the conversation deteriorating rapidly, Chane decided upon a direct approach. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m a murderer. I steal the souls of people and beasts. I won¡¯t pretend it¡¯s a noble business, or a pretty one, but it¡¯s what I do.¡± He leaned forward, his smile gone, towering over Sundown even in a seated position. ¡°I¡¯ve killed and harvested hundreds of shadows. I¡¯ve killed Immortals. I¡¯ve taken enough shadows to make a Great Shade jealous. I can hold my own in the middle of an Evernight. I have held scores of shades from among the most dangerous beings in the world, including humans, and I¡¯m not afraid to use them. I am Chane Vespers, and I am a shadow hunter.¡± His eyes turned black, just briefly, but it was enough to make Sundown flinch. ¡°And?¡± Her voice was steady, even though her hands shook. ¡°And you enjoy the unique position of having me in your debt.¡± He sat back and spread his hands. ¡°You need someone who can hunt down a shadow. You need someone not afraid to get his hands dirty, even to face down an Immortal. You need someone dangerous. ¡°Despise me if you must, Sundown, but I am exactly the man you need. If you didn¡¯t think so, you wouldn¡¯t have broken me out of jail.¡± She pulled the sausage off the fire, which had slightly burned on one side, and she went through the motions of making up a plate for each of them before she spoke. ¡°Why do you need my blood? If it¡¯s not a curse, what is it?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t provide the shades a bit of life force every week, they¡¯ll consume mine.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Wearing them under my skin has its benefits, but it also has its cost.¡± He was bending the truth quite a bit, but he was betting on her not knowing enough about shadentheurgy to call him out. Sundown studied his bare chest and arms. ¡°You keep your servants inside you. Your tattoos are your shadowbox?¡± ¡°Harder to steal skin than a shadowbox or a totem. And the shades are quicker to respond to my commands.¡± He held up a hand, and a dark shadow crept out of it and stood up like a globule of pitch, white eyes glinting in the firelight. ¡°This one belonged to a veilbat. Comes in useful when I need short bursts of flight.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± she said, though she had leaned back. ¡°How many do you have?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t the number that matters. But I have anywhere from ten to twenty on my person at any given time.¡± ¡°And they consume a lot of life force?¡± ¡°Not too much. I don¡¯t need much blood, just a few ounces once a week.¡± Sundown considered in silence. ¡°Alright,¡± she said at last. ¡°But it will cost you two scythers a drink.¡± ¡°One,¡± Chane counter-offered. ¡°Two.¡± ¡°One, and I¡¯ll cook you something special to recover your stamina each time.¡± ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s only one time. Three weeks is the maximum. I¡¯m hoping it takes less than that.¡± ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± She nodded. ¡°Deal, if it¡¯s your own food. You better be a hell of a cook.¡± He shook her hand. ¡°I have to admit, you¡¯re taking this better than I thought you would.¡± She shrugged and looked down. ¡°I¡¯ve done worse than this for money.¡± ¡°Ha! Haven¡¯t we all.¡± He decided then that he liked Sundown. Reserved, brave, and resourceful. Excellent qualities that would make her a perfect companion to work with. It would be a shame if he ended up having to kill her.
They moved on at first light, traveling towards the place Sundown had lost her shadow. Chane was still recovering his strength, from what Sundown gathered, but he didn¡¯t make a fuss about it, except the occasional grunt or wince. He did seem to be recovering faster than normal from his extended stay in the prison. He wouldn¡¯t talk about what he had done to break out of his chains. This did little to improve her trust in him. They would have traveled faster, but the marven proved belligerent. It did not appreciate carrying two people¡¯s sets of belongings. Actually, it didn¡¯t seem to appreciate moving in general. Even Chane moved faster than it did. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have picked a younger beast?¡± Chane asked Sundown. ¡°It¡¯s what I could steal.¡± Sundown tugged on the bridle to encourage it. ¡°If you want a better mount, steal one yourself.¡± The marven clacked its beak at Chane whenever he got close, so he had settled into a pace behind them. His positioning unnerved Sundown. She would rather have kept him where she could see him at all times. ¡°You know you could be hung for marven-rustling,¡± Chane said. ¡°I can count on one hand the number of marven-thieves I¡¯ve seen hung. They won¡¯t bother with chasing down a twenty-year-old steer.¡± Sundown glared back at the beast. ¡°I think they might even be glad to be rid of it.¡± They traveled in this fashion for two full days. Word had spread quickly about Chane¡¯s escape, and they had to hide his face behind a plague-cloth. Sundown thought it was more distracting than him simply shaving his beard to change his appearance, but Chane had a bit of a taste for fashion, and wouldn¡¯t touch his beard except to groom and maintain it. She had the urge to comment on how out-of-fashion a plague cloth looked covering his mouth and nose and¡ªironically¡ªhis beard, but she kept it to herself. Men and their vanity¡­ Sundown was in the middle of wondering if they would move faster once Chane had his full strength back and they could ditch the marven, when Chane spoke from behind her in a tone that made her stomach clench. ¡°Don¡¯t turn around, and don¡¯t panic.¡± This of course only made her tense up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We have a shade following us. It¡¯s been after us for the last mile or so.¡± ¡°What kind of shade?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hound, I think.¡± Sundown groaned and stopped walking. Chane caught up to her. ¡°You know this shade?¡± ¡°Wait here. I have some business to take care of.¡± She put the marven¡¯s reins in his hand. It gave him a look, and he took a step back from it. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She left them and approached the shade. It was little more than a shadow on the ground, but as she approached it rose up into an amorphous mass with glowing white eyes. ¡°Hello, Founder.¡± The shade looked at her, and almost moved past her. ¡°It¡¯s me. Sundown.¡± The shade took another look, and seemed confused. A shadow grew from it and pointed at her feet. ¡°I lost my shadow. Probably why it took you a little while to find me again.¡± The blob nodded, then held out an appendage that looked like a hand. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a small leather purse. She counted out five bronze coins with a crescent moon image on them and gave them to the shade. The coins encountered no resistance from the shade and dropped straight into the darkness, disappearing entirely. The shade retracted its arm, then extended it again. ¡°I just gave you your scythers, Founder.¡± It waved its hand. ¡°Two months?¡± It nodded. ¡°The terms are for¡ªwell, I guess it is almost next month. Fine, but I¡¯m keeping track. You aren¡¯t getting a single pith more from me until Friar¡¯s Day.¡± She only had four more crescent coins, and had to count out five piths, iron coins with a seed stamped in the middle, to make up for the missing scyther. After it accepted the coins, the shade tilted its head, looking past Sundown at Chane and the marven. It made a hissing noise. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± The shade retreated to the ground, where it became nothing more than a dark shadow in the general shape of a hound. ¡°Wait, tell me news. Is Courtesy still in school? Has Lathe left the home yet?¡± The shadow did not respond, and simply slid away down the road. She clenched her jaw, a flare of anxiety finding its way to her chest. Founder always set her on edge. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Chane was standing right behind her, and she jumped at the sound of his voice. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡± Chane caught her arm as she passed. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± ¡°Not if I keep current on my payments.¡± ¡°Wait, that was a debt collector? They used a shade to track you down for payment?¡± ¡°It was that or pin myself to one location while I pay it off. It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go.¡± Chane looked disgusted. Somehow this lightened her mood. It was good to know even someone as foul as a shadow hunter despised debt collectors.
They reached the spot she had lost her shadow at the end of the second day. The light was already fading in the western sky when Sundown led the group off the road to a small covert of trees. ¡°This is it,¡± she said, waving her arm ceremoniously. ¡°This exact spot?¡± Chane asked. ¡°One of these trees. I don¡¯t remember. Maybe that one?¡± She didn¡¯t know that it mattered, but Chane seemed to think it did. He walked to the tree and knelt to examine the shade it cast in the dying light. ¡°Darker than most,¡± he muttered. ¡°Penumbra seems ragged. Contrast is too stark. Inward tilt is¡ªGreat Shades, is that right? Ten degrees?¡± He stood and shook his head. ¡°Sundown, if you knew even the barest of details about shadentheurgy, you wouldn¡¯t have stepped within a mile of this grove. The shadows here are so twisted that you can see it with your natural eyes.¡± She held up her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lecture; I¡¯m not interested in learning about what you do. Just tell me what it means.¡± ¡°It means someone or something has been performing a lot of shadentheurgy here. It means we¡¯re definitely in the right place.¡± Sundown took a look at the shadows. They looked normal enough to her. Then she took a deep sniff of the air and something sharp and pungent stabbed through the cold. ¡°Well, we certainly aren¡¯t sleeping here tonight,¡± she said. ¡°Blood was shed nearby.¡± ¡°You smell blood?¡± ¡°You notice it when you do sangremancy for a while.¡± ¡°And how long have you been doing sangremancy?¡± ¡°A while,¡± Sundown said. ¡°I¡¯m smelling a lot of blood. Probably a predator made a kill nearby.¡± ¡°Not good,¡± Chane said. ¡°You think whatever did it will come back?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just thinking a bloodgeist will be raising a clamor tonight. I¡¯d like some sleep.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d like to keep my shadow,¡± Chane said. ¡°I saw a town not far down the road we just left. We¡¯ll stay there tonight.¡± As she turned to go, however, Sundown felt something. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she swore she could see something moving in the dark. She burned a little bit of blood, just enough to enhance her sense of sight and smell, but nothing stood out from the darkening shadows of the trees. The feeling followed her back to the road, and down through to the town, where it lingered just beyond the border of the cobblestone streets. Despite Sundown¡¯s instincts letting her know something watched her, she noticed nothing with her physical senses. Either it was just her nerves, or this threat was something better at hiding than Sundown was at tracking. And Sundown¡¯s gut had never led her wrong before. Sundown decided to do something foolish: she ignored the mystery in the darkness. Whatever it was, it was tracking her for now. It would not attack until it was ready. Which meant she had a chance to learn about it before it struck. Evensmoor - Chapter 3: Instincts Sundown woke from her bedroll in the inn with a start. She could feel it again. Something watching her. She sat up with her fists clenched, searching the room. Every shadow was suspect. Then she woke more fully, and realized this was not the same instinct as before. She was not in danger. But she was being watched. She stood and looked around the room again. ¡°Hello?¡± she said softly. ¡°You too, huh?¡± came a small voice behind her. She whirled towards the window filling with the dawn¡¯s light, and saw a figure curled up in the windowsill. ¡°What?¡± Sundown asked. ¡°Me too?¡± ¡°No shadow.¡± The figure climbed down from the window, a girl of perhaps ten, bundled in a thick blanket. The girl cast no shadow, despite standing in the direct line of the window¡¯s light. ¡°Hard to get warm, isn¡¯t it?¡± the girl said. Sundown stared at her. Then she nodded. ¡°It is. I haven¡¯t felt warm in weeks. How long has it been for you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. A week? A month? It¡¯s hard to remember.¡± She wrapped herself tightly in her blanket. ¡°They said I was going to die. But I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m dying. Do you feel that way? Are you afraid of dying? I¡¯m not afraid.¡± She stopped talking, a deep frown on her face. Sundown looked away. She herself was in over her head. This wasn¡¯t something she could help with. And yet¡­damn, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from trying. ¡°How did it happen?¡± she asked the girl. ¡°You losing your shadow, I mean.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It happened while I slept. I like to go camping. One time I camped a whole week on my own before my mom and dad found me. They don¡¯t let me go camping that long anymore. Anyway, I was sleeping in the woodcutter¡¯s shed, and when I woke up in the morning, I didn¡¯t have a shadow anymore. It was just gone.¡± ¡°Do you know of others? Others like us?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°The baker lost hers just last week. She says she actually saw what took it.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good. I mean, that¡¯s bad that she lost her shadow, but good that there¡¯s somebody we can talk to with more information. We¡¯re looking for the Thaelun.¡± The girl shuddered ¡°How do you catch something like that? Something that steals people¡¯s souls? I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s dangerous. What are you even chasing it for?¡± ¡°I want my shadow back,¡± Sundown said. ¡°Chane is upstairs, he¡¯s a¡ªhe¡¯s able to hunt animals like a Thaelun.¡± ¡°A Thaelun¡¯s an Immortal, not an animal,¡± the girl said. ¡°Chane¡¯s the big man you came with last night? He looks scary. How does he hunt Immortals? Is he really good at killing things? Actually, I don¡¯t want to know. What¡¯s your name anyway?¡± Sundown was lost for a moment before she caught up to the girl¡¯s final question. ¡°I¡¯m Sundown.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Constant.¡± She pointed outside. ¡°I saw your marven. Did you know they can eat things as big as a hound? Mom said that direluns ate our gorehound, but I think she and Dad just didn¡¯t want to keep feeding him and they sold him to the traveling minstrels. The minstrels are coming again in the spring, but Mom won¡¯t let me join until I¡¯m older. I want to be a dancer. Do you like to dance?¡± Sundown weathered a steady stream of one-sided conversation from Constant while she pulled on her boots and packed up her bedroll. The girl didn¡¯t seem to mind that Sundown endured rather than participated in the conversation. She had more information in her head than her mouth could process, and the topics changed so rapidly that Sundown felt dizzy by the time she was finished packing. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Constant asked. ¡°To hunt the Thaelun.¡± As soon as Chane wakes his royal highness from his royal sleep, she added silently. ¡°Thaeluns are weird,¡± Constant said. ¡°And scary. I¡¯ve seen two Immortals¡ªan Eolere when I was four, and an Idrion when I was six. I don¡¯t remember the Eolere, but mom says I saw it when we were caught out in a big storm¡ª¡± A door opened upstairs, and Constant suddenly went quiet. ¡°I should go,¡± she said. ¡°Is the innkeeper not fond of you?¡± Sundown asked. The girl hesitated. ¡°He just has a thing about people staying in his inn without paying. It¡¯s not like I slept here all night, though. But Mom says he doesn¡¯t like kids playing around him, either.¡± Constant shot out the door with her blanket trailing behind her. Sundown breathed a sigh, then felt bad about being relieved. She actually liked children, but she wasn¡¯t up for that level of energy that morning. Chane descended from the stairs, a damnable smile on his face. He had paid for an actual bed, and probably had slept like a king. Sundown wasn¡¯t about to fritter her money away on needless extravagances. Especially when she only had ten piths or so to work with. ¡°Sleep well?¡± he asked. His chipper attitude only soured Sundown¡¯s mood further. ¡°Ah. I see.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry. Are you ready for breakfast?¡± ¡°I have a lead,¡± Sundown said. ¡°It will have to wait until after breakfast.¡± He patted his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Actually, I think this will take branch and root. We need to visit the baker. I heard she lost her shadow.¡± Chane brightened. ¡°Excellent!¡±
Happily chewing the remnants of a sweet roll, Chane led Sundown and the marven up a forest path. He wanted to whistle a tune, but the plague-cloth over his face got in the way of his lips, so he hummed instead. The baker had given them the location she had lost her shadow¡ªa spring not far from the town. She claimed at least one other being, a gorehound, had lost its shadow there as well. Chane could feel it rising, somewhere deep within him, the thrill of the hunt, and he allowed himself a small taste of it before locking it away in a sitting room of his mind. He was allowing it to stay, but not allowing it to direct his decisions. Hunting an Immortal was not something to approach on instinct. Some other instincts of his were acting up, but he was trying to temper them with kindness. Sundown had lost her shadow, and she¡¯d had a hard life. It was only natural she¡¯d be a bit¡­odd. But that didn¡¯t explain the unease he felt around her. ¡°Where did you grow up?¡± Chane asked, trying to break the silence. Sundown looked strangely at him. ¡°Here and there.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I was raised in Hadelburg, back before it was sacked.¡± ¡°Fancy,¡± she said, with a slight hint of derision. ¡°Not the part that I grew up in.¡± ¡°Oh. That part of the city.¡± He gave a grim nod. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the slums, I see.¡± ¡°Not of Hadelburg, but other cities, yes. Dangerous places.¡± ¡°Dark places. Rotten places. I don¡¯t miss them.¡± He was silent a moment. ¡°I learned shadow hunting at a young age just to stay alive. Started as a defensive tactic. Then it started paying for my meals and rent.¡± ¡°And then it got you into trouble and you had to go on the run, I¡¯ll bet.¡± ¡°The one constant of magic¡ªit always creates more problems than it solves. Did sangremancy do the same thing to you?¡± She opened her mouth to talk, then closed it. ¡°I got myself into trouble without it,¡± she said at last. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve built up my fair share of debts and enemies just by living.¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± She turned her attention back to the path they were walking. Damn, he¡¯d been so close. What would it take to get her to open up? He¡¯d need more information before he could decide what the issue was with her. And whether he needed to do something about it.
The smell of the spring was just coming through the trees when Sundown felt it again. Something tugging her head to check behind her, to make sure she wasn¡¯t being followed. The path looked clear. Nothing hid in the shadows. So why was she suddenly on high alert? ¡°Stop that,¡± Chane said. ¡°Stop what?¡± ¡°Checking your blind spot. It¡¯s making me nervous.¡± She bit her lip. Her gut hadn¡¯t lied to her yet, and it was telling her to run. ¡°Relax,¡± Chane said. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything close by that poses any level of threat to us. Trust me, I can sense shadows.¡± Sundown considered this. Chane was convinced they were safe. Maybe it was all in her head. And maybe the moor was dry today, but she wasn¡¯t going to fool herself into believing it without doing a thorough check. She forced her head to stay forward, paying attention to her periphery. She checked on the marven, but it didn¡¯t seem perturbed, just its usual belligerent self. Its four talon-clawed feet padded in an easy but slow gait. Was she the only who could sense something dangerous nearby? The spring came into view as the trees opened up. A large cutout of a rocky cliff formed the backdrop of the exit of an underground river. The river slipped nearly silently from the rocks out into a wide, crystalline pool that claimed most of the clearing. Much of the plant life around the spring had already retreated into hibernation, and though the leaves on the trees still stubbornly clung to their perch, they had nearly all turned red and brown. Sundown scanned the brush around the spring, but could sense nothing. Her instincts were not assuaged. ¡°Peaceful,¡± Chane said, and Sundown turned to look at him. He was taking in the scene with a serene smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It really is peaceful,¡± he repeated. ¡°If you say so. Let¡¯s look for signs of the Thaelun.¡± ¡°Let me enjoy this, please? Just for a moment. I haven¡¯t had a good dose of nature for nearly two weeks, being in prison and all.¡± She should have felt pity. She only felt annoyed. He shouldn¡¯t be enjoying nature. He was a murderer. He was a soul-thief. He¡ª Sundown¡¯s nostrils tingled, and she dropped the reins of the marven. It took her a moment to process what she was sensing. The marven sensed it, too, and it gave a startled cry and bolted for the water. Sundown swung her sword off of her back and unsheathed it in a fluid motion. She burned the blood within her muscles as a dark gray shadow burst from the undergrowth with a growl. Sundown¡¯s heart leapt to her throat in spite of the adrenalin. She held her sword true, and a direlun slammed into it, almost tearing the blade from her hands. ¡°Look out!¡± Chane cried, a full second too late. The scent of rancid blood blasted Sundown in the face as the enormous cat-like beast shrieked and clawed at her with vicious paws, saber-like fangs clashing against her sword. Sundown adjusted her stance to angle her sword forward. The move opened her defenses. The beast¡¯s claws caught her, and white-hot pain streaked down her arm. She ignored the pain and shoved the blade forward. It sank in deep and hit something soft. The direlun screamed at her and thrashed, throwing her off balance. She kept hold of the sword hilt and pressed forward, close enough that flecks of the beast¡¯s own blood sprayed across her face, close enough to earn another swipe from its claws ripping into her pack. With an exertive cry, Sundown flared her blood and shoved hard. The sword sank all the way through, coming out of the animal¡¯s back. It finally collapsed to its side, twitching as its steaming blood drained into the cold soil. Sundown breathed heavily, still processing the sudden attack. She noticed herself still burning blood, and she directed the burn towards her wounded arm, slowing the flow from the claw marks. Four full ounces of blood, gone in a flash. Just what she needed. She glared at Chane. ¡°I prefer house cats myself,¡± Chane said nonchalantly. ¡°You could have helped!¡± ¡°You had it handled.¡± ¡°Barely.¡± She grunted as she pulled her sword out of the direlun¡¯s corpse. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to take a proper stance. I could have killed it with a single stroke if I had been prepared.¡± She circled the direlun and checked the underbrush, making sure the beast wasn¡¯t hiding a cub. It could have been acting in defense of its young, but Sundown doubted it. No, this one had come hunting. ¡°I did notice one thing in all of that,¡± Chane said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The direlun had no shadow.¡± She looked down, but she couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Her vision was getting a bit blurry. ¡°We must be in the right location, then. What do the other shadows¡ª¡± She staggered, lightheaded. ¡°Here.¡± Chane pulled out a bandage from his pack and tried to wrap her arm in it. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, pushing him away. ¡°I just lost a bit of blood is all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re losing a bit more.¡± ¡°It will clot in a moment; I¡¯m still burning some blood to heal faster.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. While we have it, why don¡¯t you see what you can divine from the direlun¡¯s blood?¡± Sundown wiped down her sword with the bandage Chane had given her, then took a look at the blood. Burning just a little of it, she could access faint traces of the direlun¡¯s memories. ¡°It was scared,¡± she said. ¡°It was running from something.¡± Her vision flashed with dark images, and the blood slowly disappeared from the bandage in her hand. ¡°Something large found it. After that¡­it seems disoriented. Wandering out of its territory. Hunting strange prey.¡± The blood evaporated at last from the bandage, and the memories dimmed until they were gone. ¡°I¡¯m glad we qualify as ¡®strange prey,¡¯¡± Chane said. ¡°How in the shades did you even see it before it attacked?¡± ¡°I smelled the blood on its breath. Sangremancy trick.¡± He huffed. ¡°Maybe I should learn some sangremancy. I usually sense threats by their shadows, except this thing didn¡¯t have one, so I relaxed my guard.¡± ¡°Careless,¡± Sundown said, shaking her head. ¡°I knew something was¡ª¡± The world reeled, and Sundown found her face in the dirt before she could tell up from down. ¡°Sundown?¡± Chane put a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched and tried to shove him off. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°You need a doctor.¡± ¡°I just¡­need some air.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost too much blood, and you need stitches.¡± ¡°The Thaelun¡­¡± ¡°It will wait. Let me pull the marven out of the spring and we¡¯ll get you back to town.¡± He lifted her, and she tried to protest that she was fine, but she found it very hard to form words. She managed to slur out a curse. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Chane said, and she wasn¡¯t sure if he had misheard her or was being sarcastic. She tried to curse him again, but instead came the words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her head collapsed onto his arm, and then she was lost to the world. Evensmoor - Chapter 4: A Cup of Tea Sundown coughed as someone poured a bitter liquid down her throat. ¡°She¡¯s alive, at least,¡± said a woman¡¯s quiet voice, as though from a great distance. ¡°Will she live?¡± That was Chane. Why did he sound so muffled? ¡°She needs lots of fluids and about fifteen stitches, but I think she¡¯ll live.¡± Of course Sundown would live. She was a bloodwitch. She¡¯d lived through worse things than a little scratch on her arm. Oh, right. The direlun. She remembered now. ¡°What do I owe you?¡± Money. Sundown¡¯s heart flew to her throat. She couldn¡¯t afford a surgeon¡¯s fee! She tried to move, tried to say something but she wasn¡¯t able to do more than roll her head. The surgeon must have thought this was a cue to pour more of that horrid substance into her mouth, and Sundown once again had to swallow or choke on the liquid. It tasted like an over-steeped tea mixed with vinegar, and had a strange metallic trace to it that gave her a hint of¡­ blood? ¡°That¡¯s a fair price,¡± Chane said, and Sundown realized she had missed the transaction during her fit of coughing. She tried to speak, tried to get their attention. Blood rushed in her ears as she struggled. She could only manage a weak groan. She was so weak. She hated being weak. ¡°Rest, dear,¡± said a soft voice, and Sundown was lowered onto a bed. The bed could have been rocks for all that Sundown cared. To her it was a cloud. Another dose of the bitter medicine, and she began to feel as though she and her body had parted ways, as though all her sensations were coming from a great distance. And then darkness took her again.
Sundown sat in a chair in the living room of the midwife¡¯s house, as close to the fire as she could bear, a blanket wrapped tightly around her. She was close enough that if the flames shifted they could have wilted her hair, but still her cheeks were ice. She should have felt scared. Anxious, at the least. She just felt cold. A little bored, rather frustrated, but other than that, nothing. Her lack of emotion should have scared her. Not even the direlun had done more than raise her blood pressure briefly. It seemed nothing scared her anymore. A stooped, white-haired woman shuffled in from the kitchen holding a teapot like a dagger. ¡°Lore, please,¡± Sundown begged, shying back from the elderly woman. ¡°You¡¯ll keep drinking my tea until your infection is gone.¡± The midwife poured a cup and presented it to Sundown as if she were trying to push it down her throat. Sundown accepted the cup just to keep her teeth intact, and took the smallest of sips, getting more liquid on her lip than in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve seen mosquitos drink more than that,¡± Lore said. ¡°How are you supposed to get better if you don¡¯t refresh your strength?¡± ¡°My strength would be a lot more refreshed with a draught of barkworm infusion.¡± ¡°Sorry, no liquor for patients.¡± ¡°Just let me burn a little blood. It will take one, maybe two ounces to get this infection¡ª¡± Lore rapped her on the top of her head with a boney knuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You bloodwitches burn your blood like you¡¯ve got buckets to spare, until you¡¯re passing out in the woods. Your body needs your blood in your veins, not drifting in the ether. Now drink.¡± She humored the woman with another, larger, drink. Every muscle in her gut fought to send the tea back where it came from, but she managed to keep it down, if only to avoid Lore¡¯s ire. ¡°Good. Now stay warm. If you need something I¡¯ll be in the kitchen. Once you finish your tea, I¡¯ll let you try some broth and bread.¡± Sundown waited until Lore was out of sight before setting the cup on the seat next to her. The tea, if it could even be called that, was worse when cold, but that was no reason to drink it faster. Delaying the inevitable was the only thing she had any agency over at the moment. ¡°Hey, Sundown,¡± a voice hissed from the open window. A girl¡¯s head bobbed into view, and though Sundown only caught from the eyes up, she recognized her. ¡°Constant? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Constant waved her over. Sundown rose and slowly stepped her way to the window. ¡°Why are we whispering?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Lore to catch me ¡®disturbing her patients¡¯ or whatever she says.¡± Constant was perched up on a firewood log standing on its end just to reach the window. ¡°I don¡¯t think I disturb anyone. Why are you at the midwife¡¯s house, anyways? Are you pregnant? My mom says it takes nine months to grow a baby, but you didn¡¯t have a bump last time I saw you. Did Chane get you pregnant? I saw him yesterday without you and I thought maybe you had died, or he killed you or something.¡± Sundown put her hand to her head as exhaustion swept over her. This was not what she needed. ¡°I got into a fight with a direlun. Lore is the only person in town who could stitch me up.¡± ¡°Lore gave me stitches once. Want to see?¡± She held up a finger. ¡°I was dressing a fallock for dinner and the knife slipped. Why are you still here if Lore already gave you stitches?¡± Sundown was wondering the same thing. ¡°I have an infection.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you make yourself well? You¡¯re a bloodwitch. Just burn some blood.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said hollowly. ¡°I lost a lot of blood when¡ªwait, who told you I was a bloodwitch?¡± Constant reached into her satchel, pulled out a paper and placed it up on the windowsill. Chane¡¯s face stared up at Sundown in harsh ink lines. ¡°I got this from the constable¡¯s desk. He¡¯s going to wonder where it went, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll notice for a while. His desk is messy, papers everywhere. I don¡¯t think he even listened to the post messenger when she left it for him.¡± Sundown couldn¡¯t read very well, but she knew a ¡°Wanted¡± poster when she saw one. This poster was offering a hundred scythers for any information that led to the arrest of Chane Vespers, Shadow Hunter. He had a long list of offences levied against him, including the slaughter of five Hendrguards. And one of the lines at the bottom mentioned that Chane could be traveling with a young bloodwitch. Sundown cursed. ¡°My mom says that when she burns her hand on the kettle, but she doesn¡¯t like it when I say it.¡± Constant pointed to the reward. ¡°One-hundred scythers for any information. I could buy a new gorehound with that, maybe even a marven. I like riding marvens.¡± ¡°Constant, please.¡± Sundown caught the girl¡¯s hands and squeezed as hard as she could in her weakened state. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t turn us in.¡± ¡°I promise. I don¡¯t think I can keep a marven at my house anyways. Dad doesn¡¯t want to build a stable. Mom tried to make him build one last spring, but he had too many jobs and it didn¡¯t happen. Besides, I want my shadow back, too. Chane is helping you get your shadow back, so maybe he can get mine while he¡¯s at it. Will you get my shadow back for me?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°We¡¯ll try, Constant.¡± Sundown barely could keep her patience. ¡°Does anyone else know that Chane is in town?¡± ¡°I think Lore does. She knows Chane from before, though. She knows a lot of people. One time the baron¡¯s son rode through town¡ª¡± She cut off as she noticed something down the street. ¡°Oops, I have to go!¡± She shot out from under the windowsill, crossing the street in an instant. Sundown folded up the poster and hid it next to her breast. She would worry about it later. Right then she was having trouble standing up straight. She made her way back to the fireplace, and was getting up the courage to take another drink of Lore¡¯s tea when the front door opened. Chane lumbered in, stamping his feet and rubbing his hands. He was bundled up to his eyes with a scarf and furs, which was as good a disguise as anyone could ask for. ¡°Any progress?¡± he asked in a cheerful, muffled voice. ¡°I can sit up without feeling like I¡¯m going to pass out,¡± Sundown said. He didn¡¯t need to know what standing took out of her. ¡°You should probably still be lying down.¡± Chane pulled off his scarf and loosened his furs, but he didn¡¯t remove his shoes or move far from the door. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to get her to rest,¡± Lore said, coming out from the kitchen. ¡°She¡¯s incorrigible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± Sundown said. ¡°I¡¯ve wasted nearly an entire week resting here, and I¡¯m no closer to getting my shadow back.¡± ¡°Is she getting better?¡± Chane asked Lore. ¡°She gets restless lying down, so I let her sit near the fire, but the moment she gets up to do anything she exhausts herself.¡± Traitor, Sundown thought. ¡°Does the infection seem to be lifting?¡± ¡°As far as I can tell. But her body is so small; with the amount of blood she lost, I¡¯m surprised she can even go to the toilet on her own.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Sundown said sharply. ¡°And I can tell you that I¡¯d feel a lot better if I wasn¡¯t forced to keep drinking that concoction you call ¡®tea¡¯ every two hours.¡± ¡°Sundown, please humor Lore.¡± Chane gave her a sympathetic smile. ¡°I know being sick and weak is unpleasant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not weak!¡± She put a hand to her head as the sudden effort of shouting made her dizzy. Lore clicked her tongue. ¡°Try not to get excited, child. Chane dear, any progress on my payment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of why I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve found a lead, but it could take me a few days to chase it down.¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s been a full week, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Chane nodded grimly, and Sundown felt uneasy. ¡°What are we talking about?¡± ¡°Blood,¡± Chane said. ¡°I need a dose of fresh blood.¡± She remembered the deal she had made with Chane. ¡°Right. Two scythers a drink?¡± ¡°One.¡± He wagged a finger at her. ¡°And a meal to help you recover your stamina. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to leave that to Lore this time, as I¡¯m wrapped up in business.¡± ¡°Just a moment,¡± Lore said. ¡°She has barely enough for herself. Take a drink of mine this time.¡± Chane looked uncomfortable as the white-haired woman shuffled her way across the floor. ¡°You need your blood, Lore,¡± he protested. ¡°You aren¡¯t touching any of Sundown¡¯s blood until she¡¯s back to full health. Now stop being finicky and get a bowl or glass ready.¡± She pulled out a surgeon¡¯s scalpel from her belt. Sundown watched with morbid fascination as Lore cut across her wrinkled arm and let it drain off her elbow into Chane¡¯s waiting cup. It looked like a good three or four ounces before Chane had her stop it with a clean cloth. ¡°I¡¯ll worry about stitches later,¡± Lore said. ¡°Drink up.¡± Chane looked awkward as Sundown and the midwife watched him. He downed the glass in one swift motion with a grimace. Sundown could have imagined it, but it looked like something dark covered his face for a moment, and his eyes glowed black. Then he was his usual self again. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days,¡± Chane said. ¡°Be good to Lore, Sundown, and try to get better.¡± ¡°Not like I¡¯m trying to stay ill,¡± she said under her breath. ¡°Are you even going to tell me what this ¡®payment¡¯ is that you¡¯ve worked out with Lore?¡± ¡°In good time,¡± Chane said. ¡°Lore, go take a seat, you¡¯re looking pale.¡± Lore nodded wearily. She stumbled as she made her way to a chair by the fire, and Chane had to steady her. ¡°Sorry,¡± the midwife said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m so used to seeing blood loss in my patients, I¡¯m a little surprised when the symptoms happen to me.¡± She tightened the cloth on her arm, already showing the stain of blood soaking through. ¡°Time for your tonic?¡± Sundown offered. ¡°For you, yes. I¡¯m vegetarian, so I¡¯ll be drinking something else.¡± ¡°Vegetar¡ªLore, what in the shades is in that tea?¡± Chane laughed and pulled his scarf back over his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± As he left, Sundown¡¯s instincts drew her attention to his face. He wouldn¡¯t quite meet her gaze. In fact, he looked uncomfortable. He was hiding something from her. ¡°Sundown, child,¡± Lore said with a slight affect to her voice. ¡°You need to finish your tea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Fresh pot in the kitchen. Could you get me a cup of bittertrop while you¡¯re up? I¡¯m a little woozy.¡± ¡°I thought there was rule about liquor for patients.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the midwife. I do what I want. You are the patient, and will also do what I want. Please,¡± she added with a smile. Sundown rose and balanced her way to the kitchen, huddled in her blanket. She poured herself a fresh cup of the tea Lore had prepared, and put off drinking it by fetching Lore a small cup of the strong-smelling bittertrop from the back shelf of her cupboard. As she poured the cup of liquor, Sundown¡¯s gaze rested on an assortment of dried herbs and mushrooms that had been left on the counter¡ªas well as something that looked distinctly animal in origin. She shuddered and went to take the drink to Lore, then paused as her eyes caught one of the ingredients on the counter. The mushrooms were tall and cone-shaped, and the gills extended from the cap down the stem. Terraced Nightcap. A painkiller, mild hallucinogen, and extremely powerful sedative. And apparently, the main ingredient in her tea. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been so lightheaded.¡± Her lips pressed into a grim, thin line. Whatever Chane was doing for Lore, he wanted Sundown out of the way for it. And Lore had been keeping Sundown in sleepy compliance for him. Well, two could play at that game. Sundown took a pinch of the small pile of chopped mushrooms and dropped them into Lore¡¯s drink. She wasn¡¯t sure how much would do the trick, but she figured at least as much as the woman had been giving to her would be enough to send her off to a deep sleep. She stirred the mushrooms until they had slightly dissolved and settled in the bottom of the cup, where Lore was less likely to notice them among the grain of the wood. Then she took it into the living room. Lore drained the whole cup without hesitation, and made sure to ask if Sundown had taken her own drink. ¡°Tasty as ever,¡± Sundown said. ¡°I¡¯m feeling tired, so I¡¯m going to my room to rest.¡± ¡°I think that would be best, dear.¡± Lore yawned. ¡°I have a few things to clean up in the kitchen, so I¡¯ll just be down here.¡± She watched Sundown go up most of the steps, but her eyes were already drooping, and when Sundown checked from the top of the stairs, the midwife¡¯s eyes were closed serenely.
Sundown packed her travel bags quietly and quickly. She found that now she knew the source of her languor, she could more easily deal with it. Action was tiring, but necessary to burn the Nightcap out of her system, and after she pushed through the first five minutes of movement, she found her strength returning. She burned the smallest bit of blood, her first burn since the direlun¡¯s attack, and the fog lifted entirely. Shouldering her bag, she felt nearly invincible. The midwife was fast asleep in the living room, head tilted back and sounding like a chorus of frogs. Sundown checked the bandage on the woman¡¯s arm; she didn¡¯t want Lore bleeding to death on her conscience. The bleeding had stopped, and Sundown felt satisfied. Then, on a whim, she burned some of the woman¡¯s blood from the bandage, and began searching her memories. She unraveled the days back to the moment Chane had arrived with Sundown. An image came to her mind of Chane holding Sundown in his arms, from Lore¡¯s perspective. Sundown always felt odd looking at other people¡¯s memories of herself. Lore was shocked but pleased to see Chane, especially when Chane offered a trade that would pay for Sundown¡¯s treatment. The words were faint, but ¡°Cursed¡± and ¡°Faceless¡± stood out prominently among the muddle. She burned more of Lore¡¯s blood to make the memory come in clearer. ¡°Get rid of it for us, and I¡¯ll do anything you ask,¡± Lore had promised. ¡°That¡¯s a fair price,¡± Chane had said. ¡°Keep her safe for me. Don¡¯t let her get into any trouble. I need her to find the Thaelun.¡± ¡°Good heavens, Chane. You¡¯re not thinking of trying to take a shadow from a Thaelun, are you?¡± Lore¡¯s voice and emotions revealed her disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s as good a chance as any. Promise me you¡¯ll keep her out of the way until I need her.¡± The memory faded as the blood ran dry from the cloth. ¡°Odd,¡± she muttered. ¡°What did he mean, ¡®As good a chance as any¡¯?¡± Apparently he wanted to find the Thaelun for his own purposes, and needed her to do it. Meanwhile, Lore was having him get rid of a Faceless as payment for healing Sundown. Well, if they had to pay back Lore, Sundown intended to be a part of it. Nobody was going have any debts to hang over her head. She had enough of those already. Besides, she had killed a Faceless before. How difficult would another be? Lacing her shoes tightly, she slipped out the doorway and into the cool morning air. She had a Cursed to kill.