Damian Black - The Order of the Night (English Version)

The Enemy - Chapter 15

There was a light beige sand all over the floor. The walls looked a bit crumbly, but quite stable.
Further back you could see that you could still enter smaller caves.
Cozy was different, but at least they were protected from wind and weather.
"Hey guys," he waved to them, everyone except Kim and Aidan smiled and staggered too.
He sat down next to Selim who was finally able to let the fire burn.
"Is there anything in the carriage or something?"
Liz asked Aidan. He just nodded.
"Okay, I'll have a look at this."
Liz said and ran over to her captured carriage.
To his surprise, Susy followed her, Aidan, Selim and Kim seemed to be preparing food while Josy and Yaşar sat comfortably to the other side.
So he decided to sit down next to the two volunteers so as not to be in the way of the others.
For the first time in months, everyone seemed reasonably relaxed, even though there were injured among them.
For a while he listened to the two of them talking, but they only talked about trivial things.
Not that it bothered him, but his head was still about to burst and so away from the fire it was quite cool.
He pulled the coat over his legs and wrapped both arms around them to get a little warm.
"Do you know how long we stay here?" He put his chin on his knees and looked at the cave wall.
"I don't know, I hope not for long."
Josy replied and yawned, hopefully the others could go to sleep soon.
Someone standing guard at the entrance would be more than enough. "Tell me you two," he interrupted Josy in the middle of a sentence.
Confused, she fell silent and the two looked at him.
"If you had to kill me to survive. Then you would do that, wouldn't you?"
Both of his friends eyes widened, but they were just silent. Without saying anything.
"If you try that, I'll incapacitate you." Liz seemed to be right behind him. He hadn't even noticed her.
"You are my student."
He felt a hand on his shoulder now, like a statue he continued to stare straight out into the stiffened faces of his friends.
Slowly he turned his head back to see Liz, but she was standing so he couldn't look her in the face.
"I will protect my student at all costs." She finished her testimony and seemed to be leaving again.
"How scary." Josy wispered and Yaşar nodded in agreement and shuddered. That a tall man like him, from a girl who was almost two heads shorter than him, was afraid was impressive.
But in the end he got it all too well.
Liz was the person he was most afraid of.
Whenever she had her gentle moments, everything was fine, but otherwise she was really scary.
Even if she couldn't kill anyone, her blows were enough to fear her.
After a while, Kim handed him a bowl of the same pulp as always.
Shortly afterwards, Yaşar and Josy also got their rations.
Selim also sat around to eat. He was so tired that he have to pull himself together to fall asleep over the meal.
All but him had reached the end of their tether.
The long journey and the struggle had been a lot for just one day.
He slumped his shoulders and ate the porridge. He put the bowl next to him and got up.
Nobody was talking anymore. When he was standing behind Liz, she struggled to her feet and turned to him.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, yes," he grinned a little and looked at his comrades one by one.
"You are all tired, I will take over the watch. Somebody can relieve me at lunchtime, please."
He decided, Liz nodded and sat down again.
Aidan yawned and smiled briefly as a thank you before lying on his side and immediately falling asleep.
Kim, did the same, but the others stayed seated for the time being, ignoring him. He quickly turned around and walked towards the cave entrance.
It was pitch black outside. The trees in front of the cave covered a large part of the sky, between the branches you could see the full moon that gave off a little light.
The cold, fresh night air felt good. There was no one to be seen far and wide, luckily, if there was a fight now they would be at a disadvantage. Nobody had the energy to fight for  now.
There was only one thing he had become painfully aware of today.
He was still a coward, unable to attack people and protect his friends.
Killing animals was one thing, but people.
He hit his head, when he killed another person. Not only the human were dead, but also their goals, desires and dreams. The moment the soul leaves his body, everything would be over.
Even so, even Selim had been able to make that decision for their own survival.
Only he was standing there like a statue, unable to move at all.
He clenched his teeth and braced his body, coward, idiot, useless.
So someone they had saved, for someone like him they risked their lives and what they got out of it.
Absolutely nothing, just a weakling who always thought about everything.
There was really no more help for him, maybe it was better if he went back to the Order.
Then the others could disappear and try to start a new life.
The Order just seemed to want him back, he clenched his hands into fists. Then he would have to go back to the hell from which he was freed. 'What are you ready to sacrifice?'
When Aidan's voice echoed in his head again, he bowed his head and smiled. "Now I know it."
He mumbled softly to himself.
"My life, but not for humanity, only for my comrades."
A tear fell from his eye and ran down his cheek.
His friends had already sacrificed too much for him, for someone who couldn't figure out one thing.
He looked over his shoulder into the cave, in the light of the fire he could see the shadows of his comrades.
They all slept now.
If the chance came, he would leave it and ride a horse in the direction of headquarters.
There would be some warriors on the way who would then arrest him.
If they asked about his group, he would just send them in the wrong direction. As long as the others understood his intentions, they would flee west.
They would be safe for now.
It didn't matter how much he mistrusted these people, they were all important to him.
But leaving them here without a guard was out of the question.
After all, he didn't know whether there were wild animals or predators here. He put his hand on the hilt of the sword and took a deep breath of the night air. His decision was made, he would protect his friends with his life.