The sun dipped from the sky, soaking it in an orange hue and warming their backs with that same glow. The woods’ daytime animals made themselves scarce, leaving room for those that roamed in the night. Bugs swarmed the horses and hovered above the soldiers covered in sweat. They zipped past their faces as if taunting them to do something.
Since they left that morning, Teal had been talking his ear off, warning about possible dangers that could come. Even now he could feel her gaze and the words waiting at the tip of her tongue.
He sighed.
The carts in front slowed to a stop. Me’dun waved him down and pointed at the road. “It splits here,” he said. “Both paths should lead to the outpost but we’ll have to choose one.”
The path to the left went uphill until it evened out further ahead. The right path went downhill and further into the woods.
“Why not just take the shorter path?” Kieran asked.
Me’dun gestured to the left side, “If we choose this road then we’ll have to set camp now. The road is narrow and leaves little room for rest. It is likely our scouts took this way when moving toward the outpost.”
“Do you think they were ambushed?”
“I think it is possible.”
He looked over at the soldiers. Their lighter armor wasn’t much of a burden but the day had taken its toll. The younger, less experienced, troops took this opportunity to rest, either on the back of a cart or on the ground. They chewed on some leftover food and squeezed out the last of their waterskins. The more experienced among them kept their eyes peeled, peering into the surrounding flora with their weapons at the ready, but many of them leaned against the carts.
“Do you have any suggestions? I’m open to ideas,” Kieran said, gesturing to the two paths.
“I believe we should continue with our march today. There are many places along the left path where our wagons may get stuck or where we may get pincered.”
“I think we should rest,” Teal said from behind him. He turned and saw her fiddling with her thumbs. “Some of our people look a little tired and this is also your longest march yet, Young Master. The right path has lots of room for ambushes.”
“I trust Me’dun’s judgement,” he said bluntly. “Everyone, we’ll continue down the right path!”
Teal’s uneasy expression contorted into a grimace but she bowed her head. The soldiers reformed around the supplies. Kieran signaled for Alexandra to join him at the front and they kept moving.
The slope was steeper and rockier than he expected. It was also muddy. The rain from the morning hadn’t dried yet. Kieran leaned back to help his horse maintain its footing. The soldiers pushed against the carts to keep them from rolling down and into the trees. A stream ran along the right side of the path. They refilled their water on his order after safely reaching even ground.
The path winded away from the rocky edge of the left path and deeper into the woods where more bugs surrounded them. He swatted down a few and blew away the insects that came too close. In the corner of his vision, he saw Teal with her eyes closed. She moved her hands around her in the circular motion.
“What’s she doing?” Belen asked.
“Whatever she wants,” Kieran replied as he tapped his heels against his horse. They quickened their pace. If they could make it at least a fourth or more of the way through, then they would probably reach the outpost a little after noon.
Crickets began to chirp after a while. A flock of birds flew around a large tree, cawing in a manner that reminded him of horror movies.
“Your Highness, I believe we should set up camp soon. It is getting difficult to see,” Me’dun suggested.
Kieran had a small pouch filled with five crystals he could inject Essence into. Their quality was low but they would glow brighter than a torch, depending on the amount, and would last at least ten minutes. There were six torches burning right now and there was a crate full of them next to the drums.
“I agree,” Alexandra said. “We do not know the current situation of the outpost. Delivering the supplies a few hours later will not matter.”
I am getting a little tired. This spot doesn’t look that bad…
“Let’s stop now, Young Master,” said Teal. Her forehead was sprinkled with beads of sweat. A single white horn stuck out ever so slightly.
“Just a little further,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be a better spot to set up.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Me’dun replied.
They went on for another twenty minutes before he called for camp. By now it was nearing midnight, an hour or two away by his guess. The soldiers happily propped up their weapons and began pitching their tents. Alexandra and Teal worked on his first. Before he could offer his help, Me’dun pulled him to the side.
“Your Highness, I believe we should have a watch tonight.”
“Yeah, sounds good,” his formalities slipped. They weren’t the strongest anyway and the tiring ride had gotten to him. “Do you have people in mind?”
Me’dun nodded, “Your northern-blood attendant has already offered to be part of the first watch. She insisted on being stationed near your tent.”
What? Why?
For what reason would Teal offer to be the first on watch and to be by his tent? Was she just trying to show him how useful and loyal she could be? He sighed. It didn’t matter. She could do whatever she wanted if it made her happy. He didn’t care.
“What is it?” Kieran asked. Me’dun’s eyes had been on him for awhile now and it was bothering him.
“My apologies, Your Highness. I was lost in thought.”
Kieran shrugged, too exhausted by the heat and the journey to pry. He went to rest inside his tent, unfastening the sword on his hip and setting it down. Alexandra stood guard outside so he had no need for a weapon. Her hair had turned back to its usual blood red color but was still hidden inside her hood. He wondered how much Essence maintaining that disguise took on Teal…
“Young Master,” Teal was outside. “I’ve brought you some food.”
He could see the campfire flickering through the curtain of his tent. It illuminated the otherwise dark woods as well as Teal’s silhouette. “Leave it there,” he said, unstrapping his chestplate. “I’ll grab it in a second.”
“Do you need help?”
“No. Just go get some food for Alexandra if you need something to do.”
He finished taking off his armor as she set the bowl down and left.
The food was dry and flavorless compared to what he ate in the palace and castle, though it all paled in comparison to the grease-filled foods of his old world. The bread was dry and he let it soak in the stew.
As the bread softened, he sat on the edge of his bedroll occupying his mind with a letter he received from Lilith. He’d gotten it about two days before he left Melak Castle. It wasn’t unexpected. They had been exchanging letters for the better part of the past two years. Although they promised to go to another Mending Festival together, there wasn’t any time. Maybe this year would be it.
I still haven’t gone to one.
The letter read, “Prince Kieran, Father tells me you are to partake in a mission soon. I hope this letter reaches you before then and if so, good luck. If you have finished the mission, then I am glad you are safe. I wanted you to know that soon, I will also join in the war. Please do not worry for my safety, I will be with Lucas…”
He finished rereading the rest of the letter and pulled out an ink bottle, a pen, and piece of paper to write on. The words came slowly at first and he filled the time between thoughts with bites of his food. By the time he was done, the camp had gone silent, and the fire was out. Only the little lantern that burned in front of him was still on.
Teal appeared in front of his tent again. “Young Master.”
“What is it? I’m trying to go to sleep,” he said, annoyed.
“I sensed multiple people crossing my detection barrier.”
He jumped from his bed, heart thumping.
“Don’t make too much noise. I’ve already told Me’dun to wake up the other soldiers. Alexandra will stay close to you.”
He didn’t know about the intricate details of her barrier but her Flow couldn’t tell the difference between an enemy or friend yet. Still, she could discern the general size of whatever passed through.
He’d been dreading the day when he’d go to war. Not only because he didn’t want to be put in danger or chased around by people stronger than him but because he didn’t want to kill anyone. If it was in his previous world, people would understand but here there was no reason for his aversion to killing.
“Alright,” he said, while putting on the chestplate. “I’ll come out in a bit.”
After Teal left he partially expected to hear the camp roar back to life or at least, he thought he’d see them marching out their tents. Nobody moved at all. From what he could see through the tent curtain, which was very little admittedly, was one person dashing from cover to covert.
Alexandra came in without a sound and helped him fasten the chestplate.
“Stay close to me, Young Master,” she said.
“Okay,” he followed her outside. As he searched for the readied soldiers, he noticed something off about the tents. Pressed to the side of the tents were the soldiers. They held their spears and bludgeoning weapons close to their bodies. Two men sat around the emberfilled pit of the campfire, poking and prodding it with sticks. Their backs were turned to the trees as they shared a quiet conversation.
Behind him, Teal concentrated on her barrier. She had further developed the skill with ‘kind pushes’ from Alexandra and could gradually decrease the perimeter’s range. It allowed her to track intruders so long as her barrier kept pace with them.
“They’re almost close enough,” Teal said, “twelve from the south. They’re spreading out… I’ve lost sight of ten of them. They’re closing in.”
A rustle in the woods stirred the soldiers and they all tensed, save for the two acting as night watch. They kept their cool even as their backs were exposed. A nearby brush shook, and the two turned. A squirrel dashed out. They laughed.
A second later, arrows pierced their chests. Warm, orange, light lit up the sides of trees. Fire. They were planning to burn the tents. It was a risky choice even if it had rained earlier.
“Now!” Me’dun yelled.
The soldiers broke from their hiding places and charged the ambushers. Their burning arrows made them easy to spot. One man was swarmed and brought down before he could react. The other ambushers shot in a panick.
The once peaceful night turned into a cacophony of bone chilling screams as arrows lodged themselves into soldier’s chests and spears thrust into flesh. Kieran battled the tent fire, smothering it in a blast of Essence. A part of him hesitated when he saw how much of the fire it stopped. If he wasted a little more time, maybe the fighting would end.
A whistle cut through the jumbled battle. More arrows whistled through the air, downing whomever they hit.
One soldier ran from the fighting. Two shafts protruded from his back. An ambusher swung his bow like a child surrounded by a pack of starving wolves.
The thin moonlight graced the tops of the tree branches. He saw a glint. He stared wide eyed as an arrow shot toward him. The world slowed and he channeled Essence to his hands.
He wouldn’t make it.
Alexandra caught it mid-air and snapped the shaft. She flung back arrowhead. The bowman deflected it and loosened three shots in succession. Kieran regained his senses and erected a barrier around them, blocking the ranged attacks. There was another whistle.
Something dashed through the woods. It darted past the soldiers and ambushers locked in fierce melee. With a snarl it leapt from the bushes. A wolf nearly twice Teal’s size attacked from behind his half-barrier. Alexandra intercepted it. She snapped its neck with one swing.
The bowman who shot at him put two fingers in his mouth. Another whistle pierced the battlefield, louder and harsher than the other two. Their eyes locked for a moment. The air around the bowman distorted as a bolt ripped through. A golden barrier like Kieran’s own shone just enough light to make out some of the bowman’s details. He wore a chest guard and a green cloak outlined in silver.
Teal threw out another wind bolt. It shattered the barrier but it was too late. The bowman and his men retreated into the woods.
