Chapter 7

The rain had slowed its deluge as night turned into the gray light of a clouded dawn. Silence filled the forest save for the pattering of raindrops on the leaves. The firs and pines stood tall and proud, their sharp peaks reaching for the clouds. Oak and ash trees spread their branches wide, offering some small cover against new rain though the ground below was already soaked.

Three figures crawled through the underbrush, their dark cloaks offering them some cover against the dark green of the ferns and moss that filled the forest floor. They reached a jutting piece of rock that offered some vantage over the town below. It had gone silent as well, the screams from the night before faded to nothing as day arrived. The light dawn offered was meager to say the least, the clouds above still dark and heavy with rain blotting out any real rays of sunlight.

Marus shifted beside Ag on the rock, pulling out a spyglass that he used to scan the town and land below. Ag and Genine waited with baited breath as marus took his time to cover all he could see with the glass.

“How’s it looking?” Ag hissed, his voice a strained whisper. “Any sign of the horde?”

Marus didn’t answer immediately, instead lowering his spyglass and chewing his lip. “No sign of them.” He finally replied. “At least not in the town. I can’t vouch for what's in the forest below but it’s silent enough.”

“Where do you think they’ve gone?” Genine asked.

Marus brushed a few strands of soaked hair out of his eyes and thought about it. “Not sure, I can’t see much of a trail leading out of the town. The whole area looks trampled down pretty well and the rain’s turned all that to chewed up mud.”

He hefted the spyglass again and took another look. “They might have gone after the horses. They might smell them easier than us.”

“If they touch my girl.” Ag snarled. “I’ll kill every last one of them.”

“That’s what you’d be mad about?” Genine asked, a note of incredulity in her voice. “All the men they killed last night weren't a reason?”

“I didn’t know them.” Ag replied. “I know my horse.”

“You’re a heartless man.” She said in derision.

Ag ignored the comment. Once she’d been out in the world long enough she’d see. The only thing anyone looked out for was themselves, that was what kept you alive. Men died every day, there wasn’t much use shedding a tear over them or throwing your life away to save them.

“We should head back.” Marus said, pocketing his spyglass. “See if Torvund wants to head for the horses or not.”

“We won’t make it far without them.” Ag replied. “Traveling aside they have all of our food and my lute.”

“I don’t give a damn about your lute.” Marus snorted. “You could barely play the thing anyway.”

“I could play it better than anyone I know.” Ag replied defensively.

“Yeah? And how many people do you know that can play the lute?”

“One.”

Marus nodded. “My point exactly.” He moved to rise but froze when a twig snapped, the sound echoing through the silent woods.

Ags’ head snapped up, his eyes scanning every inch of the forest around them. The smell hit them a moment later, the stench of rotting meat and a strange sort of wrongness. Another twig snapped then another, all from behind, up the slope.

“Behind the rock.” Ag hissed.

They scrambled around the sides as swiftly as they could manage while still being quiet. Ag didn’t have the room to pull his weapon off his back but he pulled his belt knife out of its leather sheath as Marus followed suit. They huddled together, pressed close to keep under the rock. It wasn’t narrow but three people using it for shelter meant there wasn’t any excess space.

The sounds of movement came closer as it did the smell grew stronger. Ag felt his stomach churn as the nauseating stench filled his nose. Mud squelched as feet began trampling the slope above them and a chorus of chitters drifted around them. Ag didn’t even breathe, they were so close. All three of them had a layer of mud coating their clothes from the night before and their trek through the forest they had just taken. He hoped it was enough to hide their scent among the general smells of a rain soaked forest.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Horses' hooves caught his attention, a marked departure from the erratic shuffle of stone skin feet. The urge to look filled him and after a moment's hesitation, a mental curse against his own stupidity, he leaned out from cover to take a peek.

A rider sat high on his horse amid the swell of stone skins, their twisted ruin seeming to elevate his well kept armor and horse to perfection. His face was pale as was his hair as if he was a pale corpse in fine armor of black metal. He scanned the woods up the slope, hiding his face from further scrutiny but Ag had seen the dead black eyes. A shiver crawled up his spine, this wasn’t a red captain, or a mage by his dress, he wasn’t sure how he was still alive.

Another man approached, dressed in chainmail that glinted dully in the feeble light as well as a surcoat of red and a peaked helmet of the same black metal.

“Any sign of them?” The mounted man asked, his voice low and gravelly.

“No, lieutenant.” The second replied. “The creatures follow a trail but it's not one we can see and from their movement they seem to have lost the scent.”

“They’re out here.” The officer growled. “We didn’t get all of the Spears and any fools traveling this way are in league with them. I have no doubt.”

“We’ll find them.” The soldier said.

“See that you do.” The officer barked. “It’s our heads that will roll if the captain doesn’t get what he wants. Any disruption to the experiment will not be tolerated, in any form.”

“What makes him think they’re headed for the tower?” The soldier inquired.

“Where else would they be going?” The officer sneered. “South leads only to the empire and that is a death sentence for any of them.” He hesitated a moment, as if considering if he should say more then leaned closer to the man. Ag just heard what he said over the shuffling feet. “He felt one, in his chamber. There’s a witch among them, a caster most likely, a woman too, if his senses are correct.”

The soldier hesitated a moment, digesting the gravity of the information then nodded. “We’ll find them. Have no fear lord.”

With that he marched off and the officer kicked his horse into a trot after casting a glance to either side. Ag froze as the man’s deathly pale face and dead eyes rolled over the rock they hid behind but he didn’t seem to notice.

They hid under that rock for what felt like hours but was only a few minutes as the last of the stone skins shuffled their way off into the forest. Ag found himself praying silently, something he hadn’t done in a long time, and wished he still had the hunters eye charm his mother had given him.

Without meaning to, his gaze slid to the side, finding Genine huddled by Marus. Something had been off about her from the start, and that feeling was only increasing. They waited longer until their hearts weren’t beating out of their chests then made their way towards the cave. The trail the stone skins left was obvious, a wide swath of forest was trampled into mud and any tree in the way was stripped of branches up to about head height. It followed theirs for a way but swung higher up the slope before it reached their camp in the crevice.

Ag stopped behind a tree, eyeing the small open area before the rock face for any signs of stoneskin movement. There was nothing and the slope above seemed clear as well. He stalked forward, followed by Marus, the imperial's feet fell silently as he crept forward. Genine followed closely, her movement careful but not as quiet as the two that had spent years in the wasteland that had once been home.

They tapped on the rock blocking the entrance and Ag hissed their hastily made passcode. They shoved the rock and someone inside, most likely Torvan by the grunts, pulled. When it was open enough they scrambled inside and closed the entrance again.

“What happened out there?” Torvund asked, his voice a low rumble. “You all look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Worse.” Marus replied. “Stone skins.”

“And soldiers.” Genine chimed in. “Soldiers riding along with them.”

“What?” Esker sounded shocked. “They don’t ally with any men that aren’t mages leashing them to their will.”

“Well these ones do.” Ag snapped. “They’re in service to a red captain and they’re looking for someone.” he swiveled to face Genine. “A witch, they said. And a member of something called the Spears.”

Genine stiffened but Torvund stepped up. “Don’t start getting paranoid after hearing something a slave to a red captain said.”

“I’m not paranoid. They’re looking for a caster and some group called the Spears. The dead man in the village looked awfully well dressed to be some common thug and she clearly knew him.” He hesitated a moment, loathe the call on Marus but he needed him to help hammer the point home. “Marus saw it. You saw how she looked at him, didn’t you?”

Marus shot him a glance but nodded. “Aye, I saw it. She knew him, or she got really worked up about an anonymous corpse.”

Torvund eyed her then sighed. “I guess the game’s up then.”

She nodded and Ag cast a confused look at Esker. The man shrugged in similar confusion and from Marus’ face he didn’t know what was happening either. Martine didn’t seem to fully grasp what was happening, the boy seemed completely out of it after the night's affair and paid little heed to what happened around him.

“Just what is going on?” Ag asked, his temper rising. “Did you know she was a witch?”

Torvund nodded then sat down. “Take a seat lads, there’s more to this than you think.”

The three looked at each other but Esker sat, hastily pulling his journal from within his jacket and haphazardly stabilizing it on his leg with his injured arm. Marus followed suit and Ag soon after. He’d known Torvund for a long while and trusted the big man with his life. He’d hear him out at least. After that, he wasn’t really sure what he’d do, it all depended on how good the explanation was.