Valeri Beaufort was not fond of travel. He had preferred the comfort of home and the ease of familiar surroundings even in his wild, mortal years, and grew only more reclusive once his ties to human society and its norms were severed. Once Valeri grew accustomed to a place, he would not leave readily. He was willing to support the MacLean family store in Elsendorf single-handedly precisely because its existence alleviated any need of travel to more distant cities.

Then Beaufort Manor burned to the ground, and Valeri found himself on the road more often than under a roof. Ira drove them with the single-minded focus of a military man. In a short month, Valeri had been in the saddle longer than the last fifty years of his life combined.

Zenith snorted, as if in response to his master's thoughts. Valeri patted the horse's neck in consolation. Zenith was a sturdy beast, but this was their third day in this forsaken forest. They were all due for a proper rest.

"How much further?" he asked.

"About a mile still," Ira responded. She walked beside Zenith; the horse's great size meant that her shoulders barely reached Valeri's knees. Valeri thought about offering to switch places again, but in the end he forbore. Ira had refused twice already and seemed to have some purpose in walking rather than riding with him that she was not willing to share.

Ira's steps slowed. Zenith came to a stop without prompting, and Valeri turned his attention to their surroundings in alert.

"What is it?" he asked. There was nothing to see, and the wind carried neither the scent of blood nor any suspicious sounds.

The night was dark and starless. Tree branches twined overhead, the trees growing so close that little else had soil enough to sprout. It was a wonder that Zenith could find space to pass. In fact, looking back on the path they had taken, Valeri was not certain how the large horse had made it this far into the forest, and with a rider on its back and Ira at its side at that.

The road they followed initially was long left behind. There were few human settlements this far north, the land jagged and coarse but for sprawls of dark forests. Hunters and woodsmen would often meet misfortunes if they dared stray too far from their homes. Talk of strange beasts living deep in the woods was rife, and while most dismissed such stories as superstitions and fairy tales, few braved the forest, especially at night. Of those who did, even fewer returned in one piece.

"Stay here," Ira said.

The woman darted between the trees before Valeri could demand she wait. Valeri watched her until even his sharp sight could no longer pick her out among the shadows, mouth pursed in displeasure.

"Technically, she is still under my employ," he said.

Zenith flickered an ear in dismissal.

Valeri's frown grew more pronounced. "Traitor," he muttered.

Ira returned about quarter of an hour later. She looked grim, and studied Valeri for some time before speaking.

"We may need to return to Sar'fan and seek another way north."

Valeri frowned. Sar'fan was the town they visited before entering the forest. "That's a night worth of travel," Valeri said. It was already close to dawn; even if they turned back, they would not reach Sar'fan in time. Valeri would need to dig into the ground and hide from the sun within the earth, slowing them down further. "I thought there was a village ahead?"

"There is," Ira said, "I found us lodging, in fact."

Valeri frowned. "Then what is the matter?"

Ira shook her head. "Perhaps it is better if you see for yourself," she said at last.

The woman led the way through the trees. Valeri dug his heels into Zenith's flanks, spurring the horse on. He could feel the sun nearing the horizon, the sensation like needles threading through his skin. When they broke a ring of trees and stepped onto a man-made road, he almost sighed in relief.

The town did not seem so strange from a distance. As they made their way through, however, the silence quickly grew oppressive and unnatural. Valeri looked into darkened windows and saw empty rooms drowned in dust. There was no sign of strife, yet a good half of the village stood vacant. Even more troubling, the few people they saw in passing appeared much too at ease. They did halt their various chores to stare at the strangers in their midst, but Valeri read no alarm in their faces. Unusual behavior for people who lived in such a dangerous place.

"Through here," Ira said, and nodded toward a small house some distance away. There was light in its windows, and the vague shadow of someone moving inside.

"Is there no other lodging?" Valeri asked. They could squat in one of the empty houses for a day, and carry onto their journey at nightfall. There was no need to impose on the town's limited hospitality.

Ira feigned deafness. She approached the house and pounded on the door with enough force to make Valeri wince.

The door parted open. A young woman appeared in the doorway and quickly ushered Ira inside. Her eyes slid to Valeri, and widened in delight.

"Is that him?" Valeri heard her ask.

"Yes," Ira said.

Valeri's gaze slid to the young woman's belly, which was round and heavy under her dress. He thought about turning back. In the end, he followed after Ira, the only sign of his reluctance the slight drag to his steps.

"Thank you for opening your home to us," Valeri said, offering their host a charming smile.

The young woman flushed and dropped her eyes. "Oh, you're welcome, sir, miss. I – I should be the one to thank you, even. To have a doctor visit at such a time – it's a blessing!"

The woman held her stomach as she spoke, her palms running soothingly over its curve. Valeri darted Ira an unhappy glare. He had not agreed to being put to work, and took great issue with being hired out without his knowledge.

"This is the kitchen, and the bedroom is through here," the woman said, bustling through the small dwelling with more energy than one would expect, given her state. "I am sorry, there is only one bed. I hope the miss and sir are able to share?"

"We agreed on our renting the cellar," Ira said.

"That is hardly proper! A doctor and his wife, in a cellar – no, I can't possibly," the young woman exclaimed.

"We insist," Valeri said, a touch of impatience in his voice. They were truly running out of time.

It took a little more coaxing for the young woman to relent. She was still fretting as she led them to a garden behind the house. The cellar in question was a room dug into the hard earth, its walls and ceiling reinforced with uneven planks of wood. It was crudely made, but the inside was spacious enough to ensure that Valeri would not need to lay directly below the door and as such would not be burned by a stray ray of light, if such were to make it through from above. They spent some effort clearing out the bit of salted meat and jars of pickled food stored inside. Their host wrung her hands and repeatedly asked to help, growing more anxious every time she was refused.

"If I could trouble miss for a cup of tea?" Ira said, offering the woman a way to be of use and, more importantly, not present while they settled Valeri's resting place.

Their young host jumped to the task. "Yes, of course, of course!" She left with a clumsy curtsy, already apologizing for the wait.

"Am I to play midwife?" Valeri asked once their host was gone, only half in jest.

"We will speak when you waken," Ira said.

Valeri let the subject drop. The shadows on the ground were thinning, and his borrowed blood itched under his skin. He crawled into the deepest corner of the dark cellar. Ira went down with him, confirming that he was well covered and away from the sun's reach.

"Do not go anywhere without me," Valeri remembered to instruct. The woman was most certainly intrigued by the ghostly town and, given her background, may feel the need to take an initiative in digging where she ought not.

Ira looked at him with some surprise. Valeri saw her smile through blurry eyes, and almost missed her words, already drooping into sleep.

"Naturally. I need to look after you, do I not?"

A burst of irritation roused Valeri momentarily, but it lasted only long enough for him to see Ira's silhouette at the mouth of the cellar.

The door closed, and so did Valeri's eyes.

His sleep was uneasy. Valeri always slept poorly away from home, but his current discomfort was still unusual. He felt eyes on him even in his deadened state. In his mind, the soil around him shifted as something burrowed its way through.

The bone weariness that rose in Valeri's body with the sun dissipated quickly, chased away by wariness. Valeri was awake and aware hours before the sky was properly dark. He barely waited for the last blush of sunset to recede before clawing the door to the cellar open and pulling himself up above ground, mouth pressed in a grim line.

"You are awake," Ira greeted.

Valeri did not startle. The woman had kept her promise and did not stray far from the cellar during his sleep. He felt her presence as he lay in the dark, and was torn between gratitude and irritation at her silent vigil.

"Is the woman around?" he asked.

Ira nodded her head. "She is waiting inside. I promised that you would take a look at her."

"There is not much I can do," Valeri warned. He did not have medicine at hand, and his doctorly apparatus lay buried in the ruins of Beaufort Manor.

"I have everything you need," Ira said. She turned to go inside, clearly expecting him to follow.

Valeri did not hesitate long. They did not have much in terms of money, and if their stay was to be financed by his medical service, then he felt obliged to attend to their host.

"What is the woman's name?" he remembered to ask.

"She did not say," Ira responded.

Valeri frowned, but did not have an opportunity to press further. Their host sprang from her seat as soon as they entered the door, eager to welcome them in.

"I hope sir had a good rest!" the young woman greeted, her ruddy face shining. "Would sir like something to eat? There are eggs, and some ham, and oh, what else..."

"Thank you, but I have no appetite," Valeri interjected swiftly.

"I wish I could say the same! All I do nowadays is eat and sleep," the woman laughed.

Valeri mimed a friendly smile, watching the woman with keen eyes. The shine to her eyes and the sweat on her brow spoke of fever.

"I do not believe we were properly introduced yesterday. Valeri Beaufort, at your service." Valeri bowed his head in cursory greeting.

"What a nice name," the woman exclaimed.

Valeri waited, but their host continued to smile at him placidly. "And how may I address you?" Valeri was forced to ask.

"My grandmother called me Lily," the woman answered after a moment of thought.

Valeri sought Ira's eyes. He found no surprise in her expression. Their host's strange demeanor was clearly already marked by the ex-soldier.

"Miss Lily, then. Let us get started with the exam," Valeri prompted, covering his own misgivings with a soothing smile.

The woman assented readily. Ira helped her lie on the bed, propped half-way up against the headboard.

"How far along are you, Miss Lily?" Valeri asked.

"Um, three, four weeks? I'm not too sure," the woman said.

Valeri stilled. "Four weeks?" he repeated numbly.

The woman nodded. She rubbed her stomach, her hands barely touching as they framed her swollen belly.

Valeri glanced toward the adjacent room. Ira was doing something in the kitchen. He could see her back, and steam rising from the hearth. Valeri forced his eyes away, irritated at his own instinctive need to look toward the woman for assurance.

A more careful look around the small house revealed details Valeri had ignored during their hurried arrival. There was no sign of a second person's belongings, either male or female. "Do you live alone?" Valeri asked.

"Yes," the young woman confirmed.

"Then, the child..." Valeri hesitated, unable to word the question politely.

The woman looked at him guilelessly. Valeri did not continue, his unease growing.

Ira strode into the room. She offered their host a steaming mug that smelled strongly of chamomile and another herb Valeri could not place.

"It is medicinal. It will help you relax," Ira said.

The woman accepted this explanation, and drank dutifully until not a drop remained. The two spoke in quiet voices in the interval. Ira questioned the woman about the town, her past, and the woman answered readily. Valeri discerned neither joy nor sadness in her voice, no matter the topic at hand. She covered her mouth to yawn with increasing frequency.

"Have you lived in this village all of your life?" Ira asked.

"Yes. I was born here," the woman said. "My parents died when I was a child. Grandma raised me, but she passed away last winter. It has been just me ever since."

"I am sorry," Ira said.

"I don't remember my parents," the young woman said, speech slurring. "I wish I did, even if it would hurt to miss them like I miss grandma."

Valeri was not surprised to see her eyes droop. She fell unconscious soon enough, her body going limp and soft over the worn bedspread.

"What do you plan to do with her?" Valeri asked quietly.

Ira did not spare him a glance, busy securing their host's hands to the headboard. She urged Valeri aside and bound the woman's legs together with strips of what looked like torn remnants of the bedding, tight enough to leave bruises.

"Ira," Valeri began.

Ira produced a dagger from her sleeve. Valeri took an instinctual step back, the memory of this precise blade cutting through his intestines still painfully vivid.

"Cut it out," Ira said, motioning to the woman's swollen stomach.

Valeri stared. "You cannot be serious."

"It is not a human babe," Ira said. "Cut it out, or I will do it."

Valeri looked at the bound woman, then at Ira's determined expression. "Let me examine her first," he tried.

"There is no time," Ira said, her grip tightening on the dagger's hilt.

Valeri took the dagger. Whether he believed Ira's diagnosis or not, it would still be best that he made the incision. Ira's skill with the blade began and ended with butchery.

"She appears to be nearly due, despite her ravings. It should be safe to deliver the child now," Valeri said as he carefully cut the woman's dress so he could reach her stomach. The chatter was mostly for his own sake; judging by Ira's stony face, she did not hold any misgivings about the outcome of this procedure.

Valeri took a moment to assess his patient. The young woman's belly protruded harshly from her abdomen, the skin nearly translucent with the stretch. He rested the dagger under the distension. His fingers were steady when he dug the blade into the woman's flesh. The woman's face tightened with pain but she did not wake or let out any sound.

"The strength of this tea of yours is truly remarkable," Valeri commented dryly. He did not doubt the potion to be an Amith Capil concoction, used to aid soldiers in nefarious doings.

Ira did not respond. She watched Valeri's hands with intense focus, face impassive. The bloody scene did not appear to bother her in the slightest. Valeri was reminded of Ira's calm manner in dealing with Mrs. Korral's polluted corpse and suppressed a bitter smile.

"Make it wider," Ira said when Valeri made to set the dagger aside.

"Do not forget who the doctor is between us two, Miss Hale," Valeri said. "It is as it should be. I will help the babe out the rest of the way." He reached to do just that.

Ira caught his wrist, her grip like steel. At the same moment, the severed flesh of the woman's stomach lifted in a pulsing undulation and several long, thin black legs stretched into the light.

Valeri fell back. Ira gripped him around the waist and pulled them both to the side of the bed, clearing the way for a ghastly procession. Spiders the size of a man's fist crawled out of the woman's flesh, scrambling over each other, their black bodies glistening with blood and viscous fluid. There were more than a dozen of them. Valeri watched them scurry over the floor toward the door with wide eyes. Some climbed the walls, slipping through the open window and disappearing into the night. They paid no heed to the room's human inhabitants, single-minded in their pursuit of some unknown goal.

"What are they?" Valeri asked, numb with shock.

"I am not certain," Ira said. She went to the woman on the bed. After a quick check of the patient's pulse and breathing, she turned her attention to the window and the creatures scuttling out of sight. "Tend to her. Be careful when you clean the wound, in case any eggs remain. Cut out all that has been chewed and infected. If she can be saved, save her. If the rot has gone too deep, kill her. Do not let her suffer needlessly."

Valeri swallowed back nausea. "They ate from her?" he forced out. He needed to know what to expect if he were to attempt treatment.

"They likely ate each other," Ira said. "Once the strongest few remained, they would have eaten through their host. As it is, the woman may yet survive. You will need to make the call."

Valeri caught Ira's arm, staying her steps. He meant to demand that she remained – the village's fate was not their concern, and there was no telling what sort of monster Ira would encounter, were she to follow the creatures' trail. The look in Ira's eyes stopped him short. In the end, he offered the dagger back instead, quietly resolving to follow after her as soon as he saw to their host.

Ira pressed his hand back. "Keep it. The danger has not passed."

She did not allow Valeri time to refuse. The door shut behind her with a bang, setting the window rattling. Outside, rain pattered against the ground.

Valeri gripped the dagger and turned to his patient. The woman's sorry sight had him sighing in misery. To think he had once complained over treating colds and bruises for Elsendorf's motley residents. It was as the old folk said –

One truly did not know what they had, until a woman gave birth to a hatch of spiders right before their eyes.