Chapter 316 (1/2)
Chapter 316
An ox was bellowing nearbyA distant bird cried angrily, our battle likely having disturbed its peaceMy own heart was banging against e audibly, but I could hear Tessia’s and Curtis’s as well, which felt wrong somehow, almost like an invasion of their privacy
Underneath these noises, there was so elseA thin, fearful voice whispered a prayer to the Vritra
I spun, an arrow already on , and loosed it just past Curtis’s hipMy arrow thunked into a young Alacryan soldier who had hidden, playing dead, behind one of the cart wheelsHe had been preparing a spell aimed at Curtis’s back
Tessia and Curtis both turned,in preparation for their spells, but the soldier was dead
Curtis turned back toa little embarrassed“Thanks,” he said quietly
Tessia met my eye and nodded sharply
By now, most of the other members of our assault force, those who had survived, were co out of the trees
“We’ll be sure to celebrate later,” Tessia said, her voice carrying clearly as she cast a hard gaze at her soldiers“For now, let’s get these people free!”
Just like that, everyone burst intothe prisoners, and shattering theiraway to oversee her soldiers“Are you alright?”
“I’ my beast will fadeFor a moment, it was like someone had pressed a blanket over my head, but ot close”
Tessia sht…soldier”
I returned the solute aardly, and Tessia marched away
Boo nuzzled me, and I leaned forward and pressedcloser, aren’t we, buddy…” I said with a sigh beforeAlacryan I’d just killed
I tried to look away, to distance‘til now
But I couldn’tI kept staring at the e
It hen his body was getting carried away by our soldiers, though, that I saw themThe blank, lifeless eyes that were still wide open in shock
I tore round in the processI crawled to the nearest tree I could find and heaved out my last meal as tears blurredme from everyone else as I sobbed and threw up at the same time
How did Arthur do this? How did Tessia, Curtis, or anyone do such a grueso? Likekilledpeople,like a child
A delicate touch onface to face with Kathyln, whose cool gaze was uncharacteristically sympathetic
A loud hiccup interrupted my sobs and I could taste the acidic remains of my throw upI hurriedly wiped both eexpression
“How do you do it?” I let out another sob“How is it so easy for all of you to do this?”
“It’s never easy and it should never be easy” The once-princess held out her arm for me to take“As for how I do it, I’m afraid everyone’s answer is different”
Kathyln gave me a solemn smile as she looked at meIt was the same kind et until now
How many enemies had Arthur killed?I wonderedHow
Wiping my tears once more, I took Kathyln’s arm, and she led me away toward the rear of the caravan where the prisoners were just starting to be released
As we passed by the other carts, each one surrounded by a handful of our soldiers helping people out and trying to re shackles, I watched the freed elvesMany threw their arms around each other and their rescuersManyrelieved tears run unabated down their facesOthers gazed about dreamily, as if they’d just woken and were still unsure if what they were seeing was real
A frightened belloround in front of one of the carts, its legs trapped within the dwarves’ spellIt gazed back atby the third cart in the caravan when a tall, shi+rtless blond elf with dark bruises discoloring his face fell to his knees as his manacles were releasedFrom nearby, I heard Tessia exclai Kathyln to release my arm
She turned to watch withelf and leaned down to wrap both her hands around hisKathyln brusheddown next theently on Feyrith’s back
I took a few steps closer, curious who this elf was that he could call both of these princesses his friends
“Feyrith, what did they do to you?” Tessia asked, her voice strainedNot only was the elf bruised across his entire face and aunt, his shoulder blades jutted from his back, and his ribs were clearly visible
He tried to speak, but the effort caused hih, which ri canteen fro and handed it to hiered ondrink from it“Thank you,” he said hoarsely when he handed it back“You seem… familiar”
“This is Eleanor Leywin,” Tessia said softly, still half holding the ee
Feyrith’s brows crinkled“As in…”
“As in the sister of Arthur Leywin,” Kathyln confir at me
Feyrith’s eyes ide and his tortured expression broke into the ghost of a grin“Is he here? Arthur?” Feyrith looked around hopefully, as if expecting to seethe back of his neck…
“He’s gone,” I said, my voice as cool and emotionless as Kathyln’s
Feyrith’s momentarily hopeful expression crashedHis eyes closed, his shoulders sluround“I’, the words no more than a whisper
The four of us were still, sharing a spontaneous moment of silence for my brotherAbove us, the tall trees leaned inward in a bow, as if even they felt sorry for us, while all around our soldiers were freeing the iain, and the spell was shattered“Coet you ready to teleport back to the sanctuary” The noise rushed back in, and ere returned to the chaotic scene of the elves’ hurried emancipation
“What?” Feyrith asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion“No, we have to save the rest!”
“The rest?” Tessia asked, standing up and helping Feyrith get to his feet beside her
Feyrith tried to take a step and stuon just to stand“We caes—it’s been handed over to some Alacryan noble” The battered elf paused, his eyes losing focus, but after a moment he shook his head and continued on“There are dozens—hundreds— to be sent to other holdsOur people are being divided up like livestock and gifted to high-ranking Alacryans”
When Tessia didn’t irabbed her arm, his eyes wildFor a moment he looked half mad“We have to save themOnce they’re all transferred to the other towns, spread all over Elenoir—”