Holy Four, this was worse than killing a Shadow-Wolf. The mask hid so much. But now, I watched the imminence of his death sink into his expression. His hatred. His fear. Fleeting moments until his eyes rolled up into his skull.
I staggered backward, bile rising in my throat.
Someone shouted my name.Aiden. I stumbled toward the gap, just as he rushed through on foot, his expression wild. Blood coated his sword.
He grabbed my shoulder roughly. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “The others?”
“Alive, give or take a few scratches and bruises. These soldiers were more like street brawlers than Wolves.” He looked over my shoulder at the dead archer. He gently pushed me through the gap. “Go. I’ll grab Ozlow. We need to be prepared if another patrol happens by.”
My feet felt too heavy as I walked through the mud to join the others. Yarina and Sigrid gathered weapons while Maz and Ruru chased down the horses. Nikella and Jek dragged the bodies into the woods.
Nikella spotted me first. Her eyes widened, and she hurried forward.
“Injuries?” she asked tersely.
I shook my head again.
“Then clean those and sheathe them,” she said, nodding to the knives still clutched in my hands, as if the blood had sealed them there.
I nodded, feeling like a puppet, unable to speak. I dragged my sleeve over my face, trying to clean off some of the blood. Then I wiped my knives on my damp boots. Good enough for now. I slid them back into my brace.
Gods, that archer was just the first. There would be more before this new war was over.
Ruru gave me a swift hug, easing some of the tension from my shoulders. Maz patted me on the back, and Yarina gave me an approving nod.
Aiden returned with Ozlow, who was munching on some grass he’d found.
“What do you want to do with the horses?” Ruru asked him, holding the soldiers’ horses by the reins.
“Remove their gear and turn them loose,” Aiden said. “They’ll be happy in this field.”
“We should take their uniforms,” Maz said, watching Jek drag the archer’s body through the gap. I turned away.
Aiden nodded. “They could be useful if our Wolf disguises aren’t enough. Let’s gather them up, along with some armor, and use one of their horses to carry it.”
He seemed so calm, so in control.
I wanted to cry and sleep for two days.
Perhaps becoming a warrior would get easier. But not today.
We cleaned up our mess and rode out within the hour. The soldiers’ morning cook fire was still smoldering when we left.
The terrain immediately opened up into the wide, open plains Winspere was known for. It felt strange to be a speck in so much space after crawling through the forest for days.
I felt exposed. But so were any threats that hunted us. I tried to take comfort in that.
We rode south, the milky sun arcing overhead. We halted at a small stream shrouded on both sides with scraggly bushes and short pines.
“This is the last bit of cover before we reach Calimber,” Aiden said. “We’ll rest here until dark, then scout the mine by foot.”
I tumbled off Ozlow, my body more sore than usual. The moment I’d unclasped his bridle and saddle, Ozlow raced for the water. I followed him, stripping off my cloak and weapons.
Kneeling in the spiky grass, I plunged my hands into the cold water and scrubbed them clean of blood. Then I splashed some on my face, drinking a bit as I did.
My mind still felt every bit as bloody, but I couldn’t fix that.
