"I'm not moving!" she declared. "We can stand here all day if that's what you want. We can stand here forever. Why not?"
The shag stared down at her for only a moment more, uncertain of what to do until it sensed yet another invader. It smelled, heard and saw the new presence all at once-it could not miss it-and despite the shag's own size and strength, it knew it was outmatched.
The hairy beast turned and ran back to its den, climbed deep into the shadows. It would not exit for several days, unwilling to risk a conflict with a being of colossal physical power and even greater strength of spirit.
Linda sneered at the fleeing shag's back, cursed at it for cowardice. She almost followed it, would have been willing to enter the monster's den, but her fuming rage kept her frozen in place. She visibly shook as she shouted a string of profanities.
Eventually, she, too, noticed the rustling behind her, heard the heavy footfalls over her tirade. She didn't turn to face the striking thumps of a giant's steps or to see small trees shoved gingerly aside to make room for the titanic form. Instead, she stared off into the distance, her gaze following the shag's path of unceremonious retreat.
The cliff behemoth did not seem fazed by the torrent of obscenities streaming from Linda's mouth, though he would never indulge in such hostile comments himself. He ignored the outburst and instead looked to the trail of the shag to ensure that it had left. Certain that the beast was long gone, the giant turned its gentle gaze onto Linda.
"Do you recognize me?"
"Of course," Linda barked, barely acknowledging the colossal form next to her. She didn't move at first, but rather kept staring off at the trail the shag had taken. When she realized the beast would not return, she finally turned her venom unjustifiably upon the cliff behemoth.
"You think I'm an idiot?" she accused with a sneer.
"Not at all," the titan responded almost cheerfully but remained clearly concerned with Linda's well-being.
"You're Dzeb," Linda offered, as if to prove herself superior to the cliff dweller. "You're the cliff behemoth that keeps showing up around… Ryson."
She almost couldn't say the delver's name, and when she did, she appeared repulsed by it.
"It's not only the delver I care about, but you as well," Dzeb admitted.
Linda scoffed at the concern, tossed it aside like some old, heavy sweater on a very warm day.
"Why aren't you in the mountains?"
"I was concerned about you."
"I don't need your concern," Linda said, and then actually spat on the ground as if the thought left a bad taste in her mouth.
"You have it anyway."
"Shouldn't you be praying to Godson or something like that?"
"I can do both."
"Good for you."
A silence fell between them, but neither seemed to mind.
Dzeb looked about the forest, smiled at the birds and squirrels that chirped happily at his presence. Many appeared in plain sight, as if the simple existence of the cliff behemoth in their forest was a blessed event for them to enjoy.
Linda's mind was still filled with foreign fury. The anger burned inside her, but she had no real target for her animosity. She had left Burbon, and for the most part, discarded thoughts of her husband. Her rage remained, but it was growing more unfocused by the moment.
The only distraction was the peaceful cliff behemoth next to her, and eventually she grew irritated at his silence.
"Well?" she finally demanded.
"Well what?"
"Don't you have something to say to me?"
Dzeb contemplated the question and offered an honest response.
"Not necessarily. I don't mind just standing here with you."
"What if I don't plan on standing here?"
"That would be fine," Dzeb said calmly. "Where do you intend on going next?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I do."
Linda released a frustrated sigh.
"It's none of your business!"
"I apologize if I'm intruding."
"I don't need your apologies, either."
Dzeb did not respond this time. The mighty cliff behemoth just smiled at Linda, his calm blue eyes revealed a deep peace within.
The expression of contentment irritated Linda even more.
"Don't you have something better to do?"
"No."
"Well, maybe I'll change my mind and just stand here for days on end," Linda growled, as if to annoy the cliff behemoth with her stubbornness.
"Then I will stand with you."
"I don't need your protection."
"From the way you dealt with the shag, I can see that. But if it's not necessary to offer you protection, at least I can offer you companionship."
"That's another thing I don't need."
"But I do. Hopefully, you will humor me."
"I find nothing humorous about you."
"I could try to tell a joke," Dzeb offered
"Don't," Linda snarled.
"Very well."
Deciding that standing motionless beside the cliff behemoth was simply too frustrating, Linda pressed on once more through the forest. She didn't follow the trail of the shag, but rather turned slightly to her right and chose a random path through the trees.
Dzeb gave her plenty of space, but then began to follow her as if guarding her flank. After a few steps, he made sure she would accept his presence.
"Do you mind if I walk with you?"
"What do I care?"
Dzeb smiled again, satisfied with the arrangement. He followed Linda through the forest. Every now and again, he would have to press smaller trees aside to fit through a passage, but he did so with great care, creating just enough room for him to get by. He ignored Linda's continued cursing as she pushed through the brush, but he took the time to acknowledge the birds and squirrels that seemed to follow them along. While the number of animals they encountered in their path grew, not a single dark creature dared to come near.
Chapter 23
Ryson followed Linda's tracks through Dark Spruce Forest as immeasurable panic blurred his thoughts. He tried to focus, keep his mind on the task before him, but he couldn't dampen the raging fear that was born from a simple reality. His wife was alone in Dark Spruce Forest, and that was probably a death sentence.
He tried to keep the ponderous despair from crushing his spirit, tried to hold to hope. He forced himself to envision finding her alive just behind the next section of brush, but each time he found only empty ground, a prevailing dread rushed back into his consciousness. Flashes of horrible images kept reaching in from the corners of his mind. He tried to beat them back, cursed his own lack of faith, but the thought of losing his wife was not something he could easily discard like a piece of stale bread. It was a driving fear that strangled every other possible concern.
To add to his ever expanding anxiety, he couldn't understand her movements. Her tracks revealed a determined march, as well as a complete disregard for her surroundings. There was no hesitation, no backtracking. Every step was made with conviction and it appeared she chose the most difficult path she could find.
It was easy for him to follow. He was a delver and the deep woods could not dissuade him from moving forward or even slow his progress. Where Linda stormed angrily through the forest, he glided swiftly over the uneven grounds. He faced no obstacle he could not overcome, but the path left him bewildered.
At first, the trail led due west, and in itself, the course made little sense. There was nothing for Linda in that direction, nothing but bone-chilling peril that kept even the bravest loggers out of Dark Spruce.
To add to the confusion, her path started making twists and turns that lacked any apparent reason. It was not as if she was lost, for she avoided every possible clearing. Instead, she had plowed into the densest sections of the forest, not only with complete disregard for the dangers she might face, but with an apparent craving to find them.