going on?”
“Shifter,” I whisper.
My sister shudders.
Taking a seat near her, I wait for Arland to give me instructions. This situation is different from when we traveled between Watchers Hall and Willow Falls. Now, we’re seeking a fight, hoping to battle. Before, our journey was all about hiding and saving ourselves. I’m not skilled in the art of war, but Arland is, and watching him fit into his natural role is fine by me. He’s certain, courageous, and he’s downright amazing to watch.
Shaking his head, Arland flashes me a grin and nudges a boot into Cadman’s arm, waking his number one. Or is it that we’re Cadman’s number one? He has more information than the rest of us, and he keeps it all a secret, just like my mother.
Cadman sits up, rubbing his deep-set eyes. “Is everything okay, sir?”
“I killed a shifter a mere hundred yards or so away from here. It posed as a doe. Not only does that prove some animals live, it also proves Dughbal will attempt to use food against us … again. Send four scouts, one in each direction.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cadman walks around the sleeping soldiers, hand on his chin as though he’s trying to figure out who to send on the mission. He nudges Tristan first, then Kent, Dunn, and Annan—the man from the communications room at Willow Falls. The soldier has a difficult time getting to his feet; his knees buckle beneath him.
“Are you injured, Annan?” Cadman asks, offering the man a hand.
“Old and tired, yes. Injured, no.” Annan laughs, grabbing hold of Cadman, then lumbers to his feet. “You require my service?”
Stepping back, Cadman motions for Annan and the others to follow. They launch into a flurry of conversation outside earshot. Tristan rocks on his toes. The young soldier appears as though he’s ready to take off running at the chance to scout on a mission this large. Kent glances at me and smiles, a nervous, sort of grimacing thing.
I return his smile, heart breaking in two; he’s brave but still so childlike.
Arland wakes a few of the other soldiers, then gives them some sort of directions, waving his hands around and pointing at various places. The men and women form a circle around the campsite and draw their weapons, eyes to the miles of black forest.
My guess is Arland expects an attack, and I’ll bet he doesn’t expect Dughbal to be present. He probably wants to weaken us, maybe even give us hope by allowing us to win a few battles, before he makes his big move to kill me and use my power to destroy all of life itself.
“Sir,” Cadman calls, turning away from the scouts. “They are ready.”
Arland joins the small group. They exchange more words I cannot hear, then he places his fist over his heart and bows. The others mimic his action, then head into the woods, all rushing off in different directions.
“So, what do we do?” Brit asks, hooking her arm through mine.
Resting my head on hers, I sigh. “I don’t know. Wait? Hopefully when the scouts return, we’ll have a good idea what we’re up against.”
“Or we will have something good to eat,” Flanna chimes in, settling down on the other side of me, wrapped in a thin, black quilt.
I rub my stomach. The meal Flanna and Rhoswen provided was good but not quite satisfying. I could go for a nice filet mignon, or even a chocolate chip cookie. Anything from modern-day Virginia would be nicer than what I’ve eaten since entering Encardia. “What do you mean?”
Staring into the dying fire, she smiles. “In the early days of the war, the scouts always returned with food. They would kill an animal and abandon their quest to find daemons or answers.”
Brit yawns and stretches her arms, then nuzzles back into me. “Why would they be so careless?”
Arland pats Cadman’s shoulder and then walks toward us, holding my gaze along the way. My insides squirm. I miss our alone time. We’re newlyweds. This is not exactly my idea of a honeymoon.
“They were not careless,
“Shifter,” I whisper.
My sister shudders.
Taking a seat near her, I wait for Arland to give me instructions. This situation is different from when we traveled between Watchers Hall and Willow Falls. Now, we’re seeking a fight, hoping to battle. Before, our journey was all about hiding and saving ourselves. I’m not skilled in the art of war, but Arland is, and watching him fit into his natural role is fine by me. He’s certain, courageous, and he’s downright amazing to watch.
Shaking his head, Arland flashes me a grin and nudges a boot into Cadman’s arm, waking his number one. Or is it that we’re Cadman’s number one? He has more information than the rest of us, and he keeps it all a secret, just like my mother.
Cadman sits up, rubbing his deep-set eyes. “Is everything okay, sir?”
“I killed a shifter a mere hundred yards or so away from here. It posed as a doe. Not only does that prove some animals live, it also proves Dughbal will attempt to use food against us … again. Send four scouts, one in each direction.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cadman walks around the sleeping soldiers, hand on his chin as though he’s trying to figure out who to send on the mission. He nudges Tristan first, then Kent, Dunn, and Annan—the man from the communications room at Willow Falls. The soldier has a difficult time getting to his feet; his knees buckle beneath him.
“Are you injured, Annan?” Cadman asks, offering the man a hand.
“Old and tired, yes. Injured, no.” Annan laughs, grabbing hold of Cadman, then lumbers to his feet. “You require my service?”
Stepping back, Cadman motions for Annan and the others to follow. They launch into a flurry of conversation outside earshot. Tristan rocks on his toes. The young soldier appears as though he’s ready to take off running at the chance to scout on a mission this large. Kent glances at me and smiles, a nervous, sort of grimacing thing.
I return his smile, heart breaking in two; he’s brave but still so childlike.
Arland wakes a few of the other soldiers, then gives them some sort of directions, waving his hands around and pointing at various places. The men and women form a circle around the campsite and draw their weapons, eyes to the miles of black forest.
My guess is Arland expects an attack, and I’ll bet he doesn’t expect Dughbal to be present. He probably wants to weaken us, maybe even give us hope by allowing us to win a few battles, before he makes his big move to kill me and use my power to destroy all of life itself.
“Sir,” Cadman calls, turning away from the scouts. “They are ready.”
Arland joins the small group. They exchange more words I cannot hear, then he places his fist over his heart and bows. The others mimic his action, then head into the woods, all rushing off in different directions.
“So, what do we do?” Brit asks, hooking her arm through mine.
Resting my head on hers, I sigh. “I don’t know. Wait? Hopefully when the scouts return, we’ll have a good idea what we’re up against.”
“Or we will have something good to eat,” Flanna chimes in, settling down on the other side of me, wrapped in a thin, black quilt.
I rub my stomach. The meal Flanna and Rhoswen provided was good but not quite satisfying. I could go for a nice filet mignon, or even a chocolate chip cookie. Anything from modern-day Virginia would be nicer than what I’ve eaten since entering Encardia. “What do you mean?”
Staring into the dying fire, she smiles. “In the early days of the war, the scouts always returned with food. They would kill an animal and abandon their quest to find daemons or answers.”
Brit yawns and stretches her arms, then nuzzles back into me. “Why would they be so careless?”
Arland pats Cadman’s shoulder and then walks toward us, holding my gaze along the way. My insides squirm. I miss our alone time. We’re newlyweds. This is not exactly my idea of a honeymoon.
“They were not careless,
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