His intensity stilled me. He was more worried than I’d ever heard him, even when we were in the Underworld. I understand. We can’t get bit.
He snarled his agreement, pacing forward slowly, edging to the left of the trees.
I followed cautiously. Do you think Enid is a powerful enough Hag to be a necromancer? Or did she hire this out? I asked.
My guess is she found someone in this area to do her bidding. My understanding is a necromancer has to be close to her creations. Distance plays a factor.
We reached another grove of trees, this one spread out in front of us. There was no choice but to go through. Rourke began to pace into them quietly, not making a sound. I followed closely—as close as I could get without jumping on his back. My wolf scented the area as we went. She’d already pushed much of our magic out as a shield to help protect us. I had no idea if it would keep the ghouls off us or not, but it did make me feel better. Rourke led us through the trees. They became denser as we went.
I heard rustling to our right.
Rourke began to trot. We veered away from the noise as quickly as we could, but I wasn’t fooling myself. We weren’t going to make it through this without incident. After a few moments, the forest fell away in front of us. We stood at the edge of a massive cemetery. The grounds were hilly, like soft rolling waves, full of shiny marble grave markers reflecting in the dusky twilight as far as we could see.
See all the mounds of freshly dug-up dirt? Rourke indicated with his tawny head.
I saw them. They didn’t look like someone had uncovered them nicely with a shovel. Instead it looked like a scene out of Night of the Living Dead. These ghouls had clawed their way out of the earth with their own bony fingers. I see quite a few, I said. That seems like a lot of recently dead bodies for one cemetery.
For a cemetery this size, it’s about right. We must be on the outskirts of a big city.
So, do we go around the edges or are we heading through? I glanced out into the expanse, trying to sense any movement. Nothing caught my eye, but the scent of decay was everywhere.
Let’s stick to the perimeter for now. That way we can either duck into the trees for cover or take off through the cemetery if the threat comes from the woods.
Sounds good to me.
He took off, moving at a brisk pace. Within a few moments, there was rustling in the trees to our left. Rourke roared his anger as he spotted them, but the two ghouls kept on coming, heedless of the scary big cat. One appeared to be an older man, his gray hair hanging limply in a few places. The other was a young girl, maybe ten years old, her long brown hair still mostly intact.
They came at us with surprising speed, but we were faster.
Go! Rourke yelled.
We took off at a run. It was more dangerous to run, because the smells were everywhere and we couldn’t tell precisely where they were coming from, not to mention it was harder to locate all the sounds.
Look out! I shouted. Three more ghouls emerged from the trees fifty yards in front of us.
I see them, he said. Time to veer back into the woods.
Do you think that’s safer than running through the open cemetery? At least we can see what’s coming at us from a distance if we go in the open.
Rourke growled, clearly not liking either scenario. In the forest we might have a chance to hide from them, but out here we were exposed. I followed his lead as we raced back into the woods. Rourke went wide, arcing away from the cemetery grounds, plunging deeper into the dense tree growth.
There was rustling up ahead.
Then, all of a sudden, it sounded like it was coming from everywhere. We’re surrounded, Rourke roared in my mind. Turn back the way we came!
We both slid to a precarious stop. As I backed up a few steps, wondering what to do, something reached out toward me and grabbed hold. Something has me! I yelled.
Don’t let its mouth get near you. Rourke turned like lightning toward me.
I snarled and snapped my jaws, dancing to the side. The ghoul wouldn’t let go. Its bony, awful fingers were intertwined in my fur. It was going to bite as soon as it could.
Rourke charged it from the side and sent it flying. It took tufts of my fur with it.
By the time we were done with that one, five more had closed in on us.
Good gods, I cried. Enid knew we would be right here in this spot! We can’t win against someone who knows our every move before we do. I didn’t even hear that ghoul behind the tree until it was on me.
She’s not going to win, Rourke snarled, his anger tearing through the woods. We’re just going to have to keep changing up what we do. I see an opening, straight and to the right. We’re taking it. Now!
He herded me forward, nudging my flank, trying to make me run faster. We broke through the small opening between two ghouls, dodging them, and ran.
Turn west, Rourke said. Even though that’s technically heading back the way we just came. We’re out of options. We weaved our way west for only a few yards before there were more sounds everywhere.