Unknown

Unknown by Poppy Page A

Book: Unknown by Poppy Read Free Book Online
Authors: Poppy
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heart where the numbers six thousand, one hundred and twenty seven shone white in the firelight. “From the day we learn to walk we are given a weapon and taught how to use it. We are tutored, our skills honed for the perfect attack, the perfect kill.”
His tone made Aya nervous; he spoke with an almost fond caress in his voice, as if killing was a way of entertainment. But her curiosity overwhelmed her fear.
“From childhood,” Villid turned to meet her eyes, “we are taught that killing is glory. Victory is glory, in a fair fight. But there was one Tyran who believed that ambushing the innocent was the easiest and best way for victory. Murdering the helpless, without even giving them a chance,” Villid clenched his fists as he thought of his tribe leader, Shade, and glared into the fire. “Shade abused his power,” he spat. He could see images flashing in the flames – memories, of screaming children, crying Elf women as the Tyran soldiers, him amongst them, chased them to attack them, slaughter them where they stood... “And now, Shade has blamed me for killing our last Seer. I’m outcast by the tribe, probably forever.”
Aya gazed silently back at Villid’s profile, and she felt a quiet calmness fill her. His face was contorted in pain, in remorse... he really regretted attacking the village. He wasn’t a monster, after all. Just a man from another world.
She moved closer to him, taking in his features as he looked away from the fire and frowned at the cave wall. Villid thought of the old Seer, how he had helped him through all these years, and how he had been killed so easily, it seemed, and Villid had been helpless to save him. The old man had been like a guardian to him, and now, he was gone, and would never come back. Villid’s chest suddenly tightened inside him, and he was shocked to realise that his cheeks were wet. He turned away from Aya and wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand.
Nervously she placed her hand on his arm. He flinched slightly at the sudden warmth, then sighed, and reached to squeeze her hand. She put her head on his shoulder, comforting him in the only way she knew how, knowing that he wasn’t a soulless beast, but a living, feeling person just like her.
The flames soon died down as the night wore on, but nobody built a second fire.
    Aya awoke just before dawn, when the first birds were already chirping. Villid was still sleeping several feet away, his arm tucked beneath his head. The position made him look oddly innocent.
Aya edged out of the cave, letting the damp, cool grass soothe her sore feet. She felt an aching sadness gna wing at her as she thought of her village. She shook her head, and looked above her at the trees, where two birds hopped along a branch, chirping merrily. She could be strong. She wasn’t alone.
Villid woke an hour later, and pulled on his tunic which had dried in the sun. He pulled his thick gauntlets onto his hands, tied his sword and his axe to his back, and glanced back at his armour, which had been pushed to the back of the cave before they had settled down to sleep.
“Are you taking it?” Aya asked, when Villid tied his belt round his waist and emerged from the cave.
Villid shook his head. “I don’t need it anymore.”
Close to noon, they came across a wide path in the forest. Trees had been chopped down and cleared for carriages and horses to travel through. Now, however, the path was empty, and the overgrowing weeds around the gravelled path suggested it hadn’t been used in a while.
“We must be out of Elf territory now,” said Aya, as they observed the path. “This was made by humans. We should be careful.”
Aya had never met a human before and didn’t know much about them. As a child, she had learnt that they were fond of fine clothes and jewellery, and that they lived in large tribes scattered around the land. She was unsure how humans would react to an Elf and a Tyran travelling together on the outskirts of the forest.

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