Lianne, Amra, and Faolin rode as fast as they could toward the mountains looming in the distance. The horses worked hard, mouths foaming, their riders pushing them to the edge. Dust rose into the air as the hooves rammed against the dry ground.

The moonlight shone brightly from the clear sky, making hiding impossible. Lianne glanced behind, seeing Tasar and her people gradually gaining on them. "They'll catch us soon!" she yelled while snapping on the reins, trying to make Luna gallop even faster. Their horses had traveled all day and didn't have the strength to go full speed anymore.

"We have to move faster!" Faolin yelled before snapping on his reins too. Myrin let out a loud neigh but obeyed his commands.

"If you haven't noticed, we're going as fast as we can!" Amra yelled at Faolin, anger clear in her voice. "We can't outrun them."

Faolin glanced at Amra, his gaze piercing. "We have to try. Tasar is not one to be messed with."

"Who even is she?" Lianne asked.

"She is one of Yugtrass' captains," Faolin answered, turning his attention back to where they were heading.

Lianne frowned. "You make it sound like Yugtrass has an army," she said while glancing at Faolin. He didn't answer but only stared ahead with a hesitant expression. "What? Don't say that he actually has an army?" she asked horrified, her eyes wide.

"Not exactly, but you are not far off," Faolin said as he straightened out his back and let go of Myrin's reins for a moment, relying on it to go where he wanted to. He took his bow and an arrow from the quiver, twisting his body backward while shooting. The arrow flew straight at the crowd after them but didn't hit anyone.

"Not long before they reach us," Faolin said while turning back and taking the reins again.

Lianne pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "You should have let me use my magic," she said frustrated.

"What's the point if it only puts you in danger?" Amra asked, emphasizing her every word.

Lianne grinded her teeth and let out an annoyed growl, quickly conjuring magic to her hands. Without looking back, she flung a bolt of energy behind, wishing it would hit someone. She hated the situation but didn't want to act without her friends.

"That's pointless! You're as good as dead!" Tasar yelled from behind, her voice barely audible under the clopping of hooves.

"You wish," Amra said, spitting the words out while keeping a tight hold of the reins, focusing on the way ahead.

The wind swooshed in Lianne's ears as she galloped fast. She looked at the mountains ahead, her mind racing, trying to think of ideas on how to get rid of their chasers. The others didn't want to fight and Tasar gained on them steadily. It wouldn't be long before they would catch them.

"There!" Amra's sudden yell broke Lianne out of thought. She pointed to their right where treetops started peeking in the distance. "We could try to shake them off there!"

Lianne's eyes brightened with realization and she instantly steered her horse to what appeared to be a sparse forest ahead. Amra and Faolin followed her lead, riding after her as they tried to get rid of Tasar.

The plains disappeared out of sight as they rode between the trees. The horses kept galloping ahead, but soon Lianne realized that the surroundings wouldn't be to their advantage. The forest wasn't dense but the softer ground made riding harder. The trees shadowed the moonlight, making visibility worse. They had to slow down, allowing Tasar to catch up to them faster.

"This was a mistake! What now?" Lianne yelled, squeezing her legs tightly while maneuvering Luna past the trees. She focused hard on where she was going, glad that her horse responded well to her steering. "We have to stop and fight!" she added but Faolin glanced at her, a serious expression on his face.

"No! We will not!" he said strictly, holding his ground, his gaze frenzied. He squeezed tightly on the reins while evading trees, his whole demeanor tense. Lianne had never seen him like that.

Suddenly an eerie rustling sound echoed from behind, following by a short whistle as if a gust of wind blew through the trees. It filled the air for a moment but quickly disappeared, following by a loud neighing of a horse. Lianne looked behind and saw that one of the horses was missing a rider now. It still galloped forward with the crowd but nobody actually rode it.

"What just happened?" Amra asked frowning.

Lianne shrugged puzzled. "Maybe one of them fell?" she asked but Faolin disagreed.

"They are skilled riders."

Another similar sound pierced the air again, sending shivers through Lianne's back. She glanced behind again and saw one of the riders just disappearing from the saddle as if the shadows of the trees swallowed him in. The horse neighed loudly and then slowed down its pace. The other riders glanced around on alert, wondering what happened to their comrade.

"There's something in the woods. They're disappearing!" Lianne said while looking around warily. She didn't know what the darkness held in and a feeling of dread started growing inside her. "You don't sense anything?" she asked Faolin.

He shook his head, his eyes scouring the surroundings carefully. "Keep your eyes open and be careful."

"Yeah, we're not alone here," Amra said, glancing around just as they heard another similar sound from behind. It echoed in the air for a short moment before it disappeared, following by the neighing of a horse and shouts from the crowd. Three people had already disappeared and the rest were starting to get restless.

Lianne didn't even look behind anymore but tried to focus ahead. The dread sent shivers through her body and she tightened the hold on the reins. There was definitely something lurking in the woods and they needed to get out of there.

But before they could try to get away from the place, the trees thinned out and a steep cliff appeared in front of them. They instantly pulled on the reins, stopping the horses before they would fall. Lianne's abrupt pull made Luna rise on its hind legs, the sudden chasm surprising them both. It wasn't deep but the horses couldn't jump over it.

"Shit! What do we do now?" Amra yelled as their horses moved restlessly, feeling the nervousness of the riders. Tasar was closing in on them fast.

Luna stomped the ground, the dust rising in the air. Lianne tried to think of something they could do, but couldn't come up with anything. They could try to go around the chasm but she couldn't see where it would end.

"I guess we have no choice," Faolin said with an irritated sigh and took an arrow, aiming it straight at the crowd. "Be on your guard and run if necessary," he added while shooting at Tasar, who evaded the arrow just in time, veering her horse quickly to the side.

"You're trapped!" she yelled, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Grizet!" Faolin cursed in his language while jumping off the saddle and taking another arrow from the quiver. He pointed it at Tasar as Lianne prepared for the inevitable fight by conjuring magic in her hands.

"It's no use! You can shoot all you want but you're through!" Tasar yelled as she galloped closer, pulling on the reins and stopping her horse a short distance away. "What did you do to my men?" she demanded, her loud voice threatening.

"It was not us!" Faolin yelled back, drawing the string of his bow.

"Who else could it be?" Tasar asked through gritted teeth. "You should have surrendered without a fight. I don't care what my orders were, I'm going to kill you now!"

Lianne focused on her energy, looking at Tasar closely. She was ready to attack from even the smallest of movements from her. But before she could cast her magic, a familiar voice boomed from close by, surprising her.

"Now, now, Tasar, don't be so hasty," a bright voice echoed from the woods, making everyone alert. Tasar's men unsheathed their weapons and looked around, trying to determine the source of the sound. Lianne flinched at the voice but quickly recognized the playful tone.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tasar yelled into the woods, nowhere in particular.

"It's a free country. I can be where ever I want to," the voice replied with a chuckle.

Tasar squeezed the hilt of her sword tightly, boiling in anger. "Come out you idiot. I don't want to yell at the trees."

"Fine, are you ready for my grand entrance?" the voice asked with a mischievous tone before Kendel walked out from behind a tree. He approached them casually, his light steps barely making any sounds.

Kendel looked at Lianne, Amra, and Faolin, winking at them with a wide grin. "What a lovely place to meet again," he said while walking between them and Tasar, almost as if he was shielding them from her.

"What are you doing here?" Amra asked baffled.

Kendel shrugged. "Oh, you know. I was on my nightly stroll in the woods when I heard something happening in here," he said, his casual demeanor a contrast to the otherwise tense atmosphere.

"You know each other?" Tasar asked confused, looking first at Kendel and then at them.

Kendel leaned against a tree and folded his arms. "Oh, sure. They helped me with my horse and we even shared some beers, drinking the night-" he started telling before Tasar interrupted him.

"So, you're the one who got rid of my men."

"I might have," Kendel said while raising his eyebrows.

Tasar's expression turned puzzled. "Why would you do that? Aren't we supposed to serve the same lord?"

"Now that you asked, I'll reveal a little secret to you," Kendel said grinning while leaning forward, wanting everyone's attention on him. "I'm not serving him anymore."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Tasar's eyes light up with fire and anger. She quickly slashed her sword at Kendel, the blade piercing the air as he lightly stepped aside. "How dare you!" she yelled, her voice booming loudly, drowning all the other sounds under it. "You've always been a deceptive idiot," she said, spitting the words at him.

Kendel let out small laughter while brushing his hand through his curly hair. "Oh, don't flatter me."

"Why are you helping them?" Tasar asked while nodding toward Lianne, Amra, and Faolin.

Kendel quickly glanced at Lianne and winked at her as if to signal something. She knew what he was about to say and she had a bad feeling that the situation would not end well. An empty feeling grew inside her, making her heart beat fast.

"I can't let my partner get hurt before she has done her end of the agreement, can I?" Kendel said, a wide grin on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Tasar asked Kendel at the same time Lianne heard Amra speaking.

"Lianne, what is he talking about?"

Lianne closed her eyes quickly. She wished that the deal had lasted secret longer, at least until they had reached the mountains. "Amra, I-" she started saying while opening her eyes but Amra stopped her.

"Don't tell me you actually took the deal?" she asked, a disappointed expression on her face that worsened the empty feeling in Lianne.

"I..." Lianne tried to say but nothing came out of her mouth, the silence revealing the truth.

Amra looked at Lianne for a moment as if she was trying to read her thoughts. Then she averted her gaze and stared at the mane of her horse with a deep frown on her face. Lianne's eyes started getting teary but she held them in. She had betrayed her best friend when she had taken the agreement and now she had to live with the consequences.

"It would have come out eventually," Kendel said to Lianne while shrugging casually and interrupting their moment.

Tasar let out a disgusted sigh. "This conversation bores me. I'm ordered to stop them and I'm going to do it, despite you," she said to Kendel, her tone threatening while jumping off her horse, getting ready to fight.

"Well, that's a shame. I can't let you do that," Kendel said, his playful demeanor suddenly changing. He straightened out his back and tensed his body, focusing only on Tasar. The air around him grew thick and threatening as he took a stance, the wide grin disappearing from his lips.

"You're going to betray Yugtrass? Are you really going that far?" Tasar asked, her eyes wide. "Why?"

"You know what? I'm tired of being someone else's lackey," Kendel said while taking a couple of steps in place, focusing his full attention on her.

Tasar hesitated, but asked, "Is it only you or all the Shadows?"

Kendel stopped and grinned widely again. "Guess," he said as people started appearing from behind the trees. Five people gathered around Kendel, moving as silently as he did. "I only brought a few friends for you."

Lianne stared at the situation unfolding in front of her eyes, her mouth agape. Nobody had even sensed them close by and now Kendel was surrounded by people who all had ashen hair and dark eyes.

"You bastard!" Tasar yelled, her voice breaking the small silence that followed the surprise.

Kendel only laughed at her reaction. "You're flattering me too much today, aren't you?"

"When Yugtrass will find about this, you will die along with them!" Tasar yelled.

"I'm not going to let you tell him," Kendel said and at the same time, threw a dagger from his sleeve at a man's throat. The dagger plunged deep inside the flesh, blood gushing from the hit. The man gripped his throat, a gurgling sound leaving him before his body went limp and fell from the horse.

Kendel's sudden start triggered the whole situation, the tense atmosphere exploding into action. Tasar's men hopped off their horses and the Shadows drew their weapons, ready to face each other.

As the first clanks of steel filled the air, the tension erupted and everyone attacked. Six men on Tasar's side and five men on Kendel's side clashed with each other in the woods. The fight had begun.

Tasar charged straight at Kendel, her expression full of hatred as she fiercely slashed her sword. It only sliced the air as Kendel lightly stepped to the side, his grin never faltering. Tasar attacked again, trying to stab Kendel's torso but he evaded again. He moved agilely back as if he was only dancing around, playing with her.

"I'm going to kill you!" Tasar yelled, her voice hoarse. She slashed her sword again but only hit a tree as Kendel evaded the strike again.

"You can try," Kendel said as he finally took out a dagger, half the size of Tasar's sword. He instantly tried stabbing her, the sudden attack making her stumble. She took a few steps back, barely blocking another stab from Kendel, their blades clashing together.

"We have to help the Shadows," Lianne said, but Amra only glared at her, not making a move. "Amra, please. We'll talk about that later," she added, her voice pleading as she jumped off the saddle, ready to fight.

Amra hesitated, her mind working, trying to decide what to do. Then she let out a deep sigh while pulling the knife out of its sheath and jumping off the saddle. She took the reins of the horses and pulled them further from the battlefield just as a woman ran toward them, a sword in hand.

Faolin quickly drew the string and shot at the approaching woman who blocked the arrow with a swing of her sword. Faolin took out another arrow and shot it immediately at the attacker before she reached them. He landed a hit and the woman jerked backward from the force of the shot, falling on the ground with a loud thud.

The clashing of swords and knives echoed in the woods, accompanied by grunts and shouts of the fighters. One of the Shadows withdrew to the side and started conjuring magic to his hands, a blaze of fire growing between his palms. When it was powerful enough, he flung it straight at Tasar, trying to keep her at bay.

Tasar evaded the scorching flame while jumping to the side, her back slamming against a tree. She grunted from the impact but recovered quickly. "Get rid of that magician!" she yelled at her men while getting back into the fight with Kendel, slashing her sword in a large arc. As he blocked the hit, the clash of steel boomed loudly into the air.

One of the men sneaked up on the magic wielder from behind but Lianne intercepted the attack by flinging a bolt of energy at him. It surprised the man and hit him with a blinding light, stopping him from attacking. The magician whipped around, slashing the man with a knife and ending his life quickly. The man's body twitched a couple of times before going limp, the blood painting the ground red.

The Shadows moved agilely and silently, their movements flowing like water. They blended into the shadows of the trees and later attacked from out of sight, baffling the attackers with their disappearance. Tasar's people were tough and fought dirty but the Shadows had an advantage of the surroundings. The trees gave them leverage on surprising the enemies and getting the upper hand.

One man stabbed a Shadow in the back in the midst of the fight. Blood gushed from his torso as the man pulled the knife out and struck again, making the Shadow fall on his knees. But before the attacker could finish him off, Faolin's arrow hit him in the arm, dropping the knife out of his grasp.

The man growled in anger and pulled the arrow from his arm. Blood trickled from the wound as he focused his crazed gaze on them, pulling something out of a bag on his belt. He used his uninjured arm and threw a small pouch toward them.

As the small leathery pouch flew toward Lianne, she could only look at it puzzled, not knowing what it was. Everything seemed to happen so fast that she had no time to react or defend herself before she was pushed down. The unknown object flew over her head and a loud thunderous sound boomed behind her as it hit a tree, cracking it from the middle.

Lianne's ears rang from the loud sound, making her disoriented for a moment. When she got over her bafflement, she saw a tree with scorching marks as if a fire had burned it quickly. Faolin was next to her on the ground, his arms still around her.

"Thank you," Lianne said, realizing that he had saved her from the unexpected explosion. "Are you alright?"

Faolin lifted his head, slightly wincing while moving. "I am. Are you?"

Lianne nodded and turned her attention back to the man who had thrown the explosive. He was about to pull another pouch from his bag, ready to strike again. Lianne scrambled to her feet and conjured magic in her hands. She tried to be quick but for a moment it seemed that the man would be faster. He was about to throw the pouch when a knife swooshed past his face, making him lose focus and stumble. At that moment, Lianne flung a bolt of energy straight at his chest, sending him flying backward.

Lianne quickly whipped around and saw Amra standing behind her. "Thanks," Lianne said as their eyes met but Amra instantly averted her gaze, turning to look at Faolin.

"Are you alright?" she asked while backing away from the fight to the horses.

Faolin was still on his knees on the ground, holding his hands on top of his side, a sharp piece of bark next to him. "Is something wrong?" Lianne asked wide-eyed while kneeling next to him, still a bit disoriented from the explosion.

"This is nothing," he said while lifting his head, his brows furrowed, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"You're hurt," Lianne said, seeing his bloodied shirt, a hollow feeling taking home inside her. She had enough of people getting hurt. "You shouldn't have helped me. You got hurt because of me."

Faolin's half-lidded eyes softened as he focused his dark brown eyes on her. "Of course I helped."

"You shouldn't put yourself in danger because of me," Lianne said firmly.

"I will not let anything happen to you," Faolin replied, his voice gentle and his eyes sincere.

Lianne's words got stuck in her throat. She stared at Faolin, her heart beating fast and the tension of the fight draining out of her, making her feel weak. "Will you be alright?" she asked, her voice silent as she put her hand on his arm, feeling it tense under her touch.

"Yes, I am healing," Faolin said while shifting his hands on top of his wound, wincing from the movement. Red stains coated his shirt, making Lianne's stomach churn. She didn't deserve any of that caring and it gnawed on her. "Faolin-" she was about to say when one of the Shadows fell right next to her, blood splattering on her from a piercing wound.

Lianne flinched, her previous thoughts disappearing as she quickly got up and started conjuring magic. She felt angry and frustrated. She hated that everyone had to help her and someone had gotten hurt because of her again. She had enough. Her anger boiled over as she flung a bolt of energy at one of the men, who evaded it just in time. The bolt hit a tree behind the man and splintered it with a loud crack, the pieces flying everywhere.

The aggressive shouts and yells of the fight filled the air and bodies started littering the battlefield. Most of Tasar's men were already lying on the ground but the rest were still fighting to the last. Kendel and Tasar clashed their weapons together over and over again. "I'll never let you win!" she yelled at Kendel, who grinned back, his demeanor never changing even in the midst of the intense fight.

"I was about to say the same," Kendel said as he pulled back from Tasar, blending into the shadows of the trees and disappearing without a sound.

Tasar held the sword in front of her, frantically looking around, not knowing from where he would appear. "Come out, you coward!" she yelled into the darkness, her voice hoarse. She squeezed the hilt tightly, ready to strike.

"Who are you calling a coward?" Kendel asked, his voice low as he appeared behind Tasar, taking a tight hold of her and placing the knife on her throat. Tasar cursed and started squirming, trying to get out of his grasp. The blade on her throat slightly drew blood as she swung her sword back, trying to stab Kendel. "Stop that," he said while pushing the knife further into her skin, stopping her from struggling.

When Tasar realized she couldn't get away, she turned her eyes on Faolin. "He will find you," she was able to say before Kendel sliced her throat, blood starting to pour out of her in a massive flood. Tasar still tried to say something but only let out a gurgling sound as she bled dry in Kendel's grasp.

"Stop! Your boss is dead!" Kendel yelled at Tasar's people that were still standing, his voice clear over the sounds of fighting. They stopped, seeing Tasar's body in his arms and the Shadows took advantage of the situation, getting rid of the rest. As the last one of them fell to the ground, the whole forest became silent.

Kendel let go of Tasar's body and it fell with a loud thud, echoing in the stillness. After that everyone stopped what they were doing and sheathed their weapons. Lianne could hear the wind through the trees again when the sounds of the fight had calmed down. Bodies and pieces of shattered bark littered the place and blood stained the ground, colouring the battlefield red.

Faolin took his bloodied hands away from his side and turned to Lianne. He nodded, signaling that he would be alright before he pulled himself up, swaying on his faint legs. A small tender smile appeared on Lianne's lips but soon disappeared as she looked at the horrifying sight around them. Amra stood further away and observed the Shadows starting to scour the battlefield. They made sure that none of Tasar's people were alive before carrying their dead to the shadows of the trees.

"Well, that became dirtier than I expected. Tasar never gives up," Kendel said while walking to Lianne, wiping his knife clean with a handkerchief.

Lianne turned to Kendel, still in a daze after the fight. "Who are you really?"

Kendel grinned and stopped, putting the knife back to its sheath on his belt. "Didn't you already guess? I control the Shadows. You can call me Aiken, or Kendel. Whichever you want."