NIGHT NATION

52

Gates and Guardians

Candle and Jotham sat at the edge of the deep mountain cave and waited for the twilight to arrive. The shadows lengthened as the sun sank in the west, throwing the craggy features of the Old Man of Sterlester into deep relief. Behind them, the waterfall trickled into a rocky natural pool that had long ago been carved into a rounded basin in the cavern floor. The water glimmered softly, gentle evening light catching the silver runes that were worked into the stone just below the waterline. The runes were the only clue that this pool was a gateway to the Night Nation, and not just a spring.

Candle sat on the edge of the rock, the breeze blowing back the black curls of her hair, her legs dangling out over the empty space between the ledge and the valley floor far below. She swung them restlessly, fingers tense on the rock. After so many weeks of uncertainty it felt good to be in a position to act. Her packed bag was resting on one of Jotham's battered velvet couches, waiting for her departure through the gate. Meanwhile the owner of the cavern paced the floor, striding to and fro with nervous energy.

He glanced at the sun and came to a stop in front of her bag, his brows drawn together as he looked it.

"You've packed way too much food," he said, poking the bulging side with one offended finger. "You shouldn't need all that. Better to travel fast and light." He peered inside and snorted, pulling out various packets and dumping them on the seat. "You really don't need... so many sandwiches. You are a dragon, you can hunt if you are hungry! You won't have time to get hungry!"

Candle rolled her eyes, and helped herself to a sandwich. She offered one to Jotham as an afterthought.

"Bah!" The large man waved his hand and resumed his restless prowling. He glanced out at the purpling skies. It was almost twilight.

"Get to the castle catacombs, kill the demon, come home. Keep hidden," he said, and Candle groaned. She had been hearing variations on this theme for most of the last few days.

"I know."

"You have your iron dagger? There is no iron in the Night and you can't kill the demon without it."

"I have two!"

"You have salt? You have your Devotions?"

Candle held up an oil wrapped packet of drawings.

"You have a candle? And a flint?"

"YES."

"I don't like it," said Jotham, spinning on his heel and stamping back across the cavern, his golden eyes clouded with anxiety. "It's too dangerous."

"We've been over this," she said. "If I stay I will go mad, sooner or later and start killing people."

She glanced at the dark, shadowy creature that hovered next to her. The demon that followed her always. The ink dark nothingness noticed her attention and coalesced into a hideous face that grinned at her. She turned away, trying not to meet his eye.

"I would not stand by and watch you consumed by madness," said Jotham. "I'd rather plunge a dagger into your chest myself."

"I know," said Candle, "but if it's all the same, I prefer not to die. If there's a chance I can kill Belias..." Her eyes slipped back to the demon whose face split even further into the appalling mockery of a smile. The demon moved closer, its shadows melting and stirring on a breeze she could not feel.

"I can teach you so much," Belias said. "So much more than this creature... Let me show you what we could do–"

He moved towards her, the ink black tendrils of outstretched shadow tumbling and twisting towards her, reaching for her-

"No!" she said, pulling away. She darted across the cavern floor and jumped onto the narrow ledge that surrounded the spring fed pool. She sat down and angled one foot into the pool of water with a splash. Belias blinked out of existence as the presence of water washed the curse of demon from her skin. She breathed a sigh of relief. Jotham's face was pained as he watched her, and he growled under his breath.

"You are right," he said. "The destruction of the demon is the only way to free you, dangerous as it might be. I just don't like it."

"It was your idea!"

"I don't know what you will find there. It could be anything. My knowledge of the Night Nation is most certainly out of date. And time flows differently there. For all I know a minute in the Night Nation passes at the same speed as a month here. It's too dangerous for humans."

"I'm a dragon too," said Candle, and Jotham smiled.

"That's the only reason I'm even contemplating letting you go," he said, "but dragons can also die. I fear you will meet your death, there in those dark skies. And I will be left waiting for your return forever."

His face twisted and Candle cast about for another topic of conversation, embarrassed and touched by the strength of his emotion. She was not used to being loved.

"Is this the only gate to the Night Nation?" she said, hoping to distract him.

"No," he said, his eyes growing distant, "there are seven."

"Seven! Do you guard all of them?"

"No, I don't even know where all of them are," he said. "There used to be seven guardians."

"Used to be?"

"It's not a social club," he said, his lopsided smile creeping back onto his face. "I occasionally see one or other of the guardians, at least, the ones I know about. Morgawr and Carsellodon guard the sea gates. Carsellodon and I occasionally converse but Morgawr and I have not spoken since we..." He petered off and Candle raised her eyebrows.

"Since we?"

"Never mind. Let's just say we had a falling out."

"Like you and the Mester had a falling out?"

To Candle's delight Jotham flushed, and coughed. "The gate at Sterlester is guarded," he continued, ignoring her interruption. He bared his teeth at her as she laughed. "But the guardian is sleeping and likely to stay that way. The others-" He shrugged. "I fear they are dead. I do not know their fates or the locations of the gates they guard."

He glanced toward the westering sun and breathed in, as if he could smell the approaching gloaming.

"While I appreciate you attempts to distract me," he said, "it is nearly time." He strode over to her and put one broad hand on her shoulder. His eyes were serious as he looked at her. "You know we guard the gates to stop anything dangerous coming through from the Night?"

"I know."

"You need to go fast and above all you need to stay hidden," he said. "No one must see you use the gate. Do you understand? It would be catastrophic if the denizens of the Night had access to it. Your humans would all be slaughtered and hunted, Lochlanach and Havi alike. It would make the Battle of Gwavas look like a picnic."

She nodded again, swallowing.

"I'll be careful."

"I shouldn't be letting you use it," he said. "I am breaking faith. But I want to give you a chance to live..." He shook his head, as if to clear the cloud of doubt from his mind. "Both realms are the same, geographically, the same mountains, the same oceans. Get to the catacombs, kill the demon, come home. Do it fast, don't be seen. Don't trust anyone you meet. Don't talk to anyone."

"I'm good at being quiet," said Candle, with some rancour. "I've spent my whole life being quiet."

"I mean it," he said. "Don't trust anyone. Remember - humans were hunted almost to extinction before the Dissever, before the worlds were split. Just because you meet a dragon does not mean they will be your friend."

"Not even a dragon?"

She found the thought of meeting another dragon both shocking and exciting.

"I left for a reason," said Jotham, his smile twisting with pain. "If my family's descendants still roam the Night Nation, they are not to be trusted. I keep telling you! Do not trust silver tongued strangers you meet in the fell! Spirits, wights and demons you will find aplenty but there are other things in the Night. Things that roam free, unfettered, blood thirsty and unanchored to anything or anyone, desperately seeking a way into this world. Do not show them an easy path. And lastly - stay away from anything with silver body parts."

"Silver?"

He nodded grimly.

"Right." Candle swallowed, her courage momentarily failing her. But then she thought of her demon and found her resolve, hoisting the small bag onto her back. She hoped the oil wrapped portions of food would survive the trip without getting too soggy.

"Fast and quiet," said Jotham, "but if you do have to fight anything iron is your best bet. There is no iron in the Night Nation, and we are all susceptible to it. But hopefully you will not be in a position where you need to fight anything more serious than a wight."

"Let's hope," murmured Candle, her eyes on the tranquil waters of the pool. She could feel the world's converging with the onset of twilight. The water called to her. It was time to go.

"Are you ready?" asked Jotham, eyes gleaming through the thicket of his hair as it fell forwards. She nodded and he grabbed her hand, stared intently into her eyes.

"You don't have to go," he said, "the offer stands. You can stay here, and resist your demon for as long as possible. I will kill you myself. Before you can harm anyone. I promise."

"What if I harm you?"

"You wouldn't be able to." He laughed at the thought, and then crushed her to his chest in a bear hug. "I never had a daughter," he said into her hair, "but if I did, I would like to think she would be like you." He held her away from him for a second to look at her, considering, before hugging her close for the second time. "Although obviously you would be bigger," he said. "I would have fed you properly as a child."

Candle blinked tears out of her eyes.

"Hurry back," said Jotham, letting her go and she nodded, overcome with emotion. Wiping her eyes she turned to the gate, taking a deep breath. "Good luck," he said. "I'll be waiting."

With one backwards glance at Jotham and the mountains beyond, she dove into the pool and was sucked down into the watery depths in a flurry of bubbles.