There was no answer—and she didn’t have time to stand around arguing with shrubbery. Keeping a wary eye out, Spark continued on. So what if her pace increased almost to a run. She was in a hurry.
The trees thinned, and the path led from the forest’s edge into a sunny meadow filled with blue and red flowers. A short way along the path stood a cottage right out of an English countryside postcard, complete with a thatched roof and windows mullioned in tiny squares of glass.
The creature squatting on the doorstep, though, definitely detracted from the picture. He was covered in long black hair, his beard tangled with twigs and mosses. The nails of his knobbly toes and crooked hands were grimy and uneven. A whiff of rotting vegetables rose from where he sat, and Spark wrinkled her nose. Ready to leap into combat if necessary, she slowly approached the cottage.
Two beady, malicious eyes regarded her, but the creature made no move to attack.
“Greetings,” Spark said, stopping a few feet from the door.
“Fox-girl,” the creature said, his voice rough, as though he seldom spoke, “do you seek a quest?”
“I do.”
“Heh.” The hairy man chewed on the end of his beard a moment. Then he spat it out, and pointed down the path. “Yonder lies the tree of copper apples. Fetch one and bring it to me, and you shall succeed. Do you accept?”
There was some trick—there was always a trick—but Spark trusted her wits and reflexes to deal with whatever Feyland threw at her.
“Yes,” she said.
The air chimed with the faint echo of bells, and the hairy man nodded.
“Well?” he said. “Don’t just stand there.”
He probably wouldn’t like it if she laughed at him, but he sounded like a grumpy old aunt of hers. Hiding her smile, Spark turned and headed in the direction he’d indicated.
Over the curve of the hill she found an orchard. Apple trees spread, planted in orderly rows, though not all of them bore fruit. Some were spangled with white flowers, while others unfurled leaves the new green of spring. From her vantage point she scanned the trees, but all the fruit she could see hanging from the boughs was red. The tree with copper apples must be farther in.#p#分页标题#e#
As she stepped into the orchard, the raucous cry of crows sounded. Up ahead, a dozen black shapes took to the sky. A murder of crows. She shivered, and stayed under the shelter of the branches as much as possible. Fending off an aerial attack was never fun, especially as her character had no shielding abilities.
The birds swirled up into a dark funnel, and Spark headed directly for it. The trees around her weren’t anything special, despite the various seasons they represented. No—she’d find her copper apples in the part of the orchard where things were happening. Which meant heading for the crows.
Bees hummed among the flowers, and a few petals drifted like snow. The place was peaceful, until rough caws punctured the air. The light dimmed as a thick cloud shaded the sun. Ahead, she glimpsed a dark, gnarled shape: a tree with twisted branches rising into the sky. The area surrounding the tree was blighted, the green grass withered to gray. Her heart gave a thump. At the tip of the highest branch an apple hung, bright as a new penny.
The crows swirled around it, guarding their treasure. This close, Spark could see that their claws and beaks were sheathed in metal.
Great. Combat crows.
She paused beneath a flowering tree and studied her target. The branch bearing the apple was way too thin to take her weight, plus the crows wouldn’t let her get near the tree without dealing some painful injuries.
Injuries that would carry over into the real world, according to Jennet. Spark wasn’t in a hurry to find out the truth of her friend’s words. So, a direct assault on the tree was out.
Slowly, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow. First thing was to get that shiny apple down to where she could grab it. Then she’d have to improvise.
Spark sighted down the arrow and took a deep, steadying breath. The circle of copper glimmered in her vision until her entire being focused on that one spot.
She exhaled and loosed her arrow.
Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, Magic
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Spark’s arrow flew true, hitting the apple with a hollow clang. The fruit wobbled, but didn’t fall. Dammit!
Screeching, the crows flurried into the air. They’d be on her in moments. She pushed down the fear starting to ripple through her and nocked another arrow, aiming for the stem this time. It was a tricky target—but she only had time for one last shot.
The arrow left the string with a hum, and Spark dashed after it. The crows increased their racket and began diving at her. She ducked low, feeling claws tangle in her hair. Ahead, the copper apple fell, the stem neatly severed.