Shadowsinger

Chapter 29

Gwyn's legs were already cramping from her place hidden in the bushes. She couldn't see Rhys, but he was somewhere across from her, on the other side of the track leading from the nearby Illyrian Camp to the cabin Cassian sometimes used when visiting these camps. Cassian himself was nowhere in sight, both he and Azriel had gone to inspect the camp, and would be coming back this way, seemingly unawares of the danger waiting. It still grated that she didn't know exactly where the rebels would be waiting, but this had seemed the most likely spot, and she only hoped that they'd been right to choose this spot to wait in. 

Voices from along the trail alerted her to Cassian and Azriel's approach, and her heart sped up, she told herself to calm, steadied her breathing, but her heart betrayed her. It didn't matter that they knew the plan, all she could think was that they were about to walk into a trap, she hated it, hated it with every fiber of her being, but there was nothing she could do to change it, nothing but sit and watch. She would help them, take the rebels by surprise and from a second direction, they would both be fine, but it didn't stop her fear, didn't quell the metallic tang in the back of her throat.

A rustle in the trees along the path sounded to her left, and Gwyn automatically turned her head towards it, cursing herself internally for the movement, although it was unlikely that anyone would glance in her direction, the movement would give her away. She waited one minute, two, ten, nothing, perhaps it had been an animal, and Azriel had just rounded the bend, with Cassian appearing a heartbeat later. She tensed, ready to leap up, and wriggled her toes, her fingers, it wouldn't do for her to cramp up right when she needed to fight. A shout from across the trail drew her attention, all of her attention, and a single Illyrian warrior burst onto the path. Gwyn made to shout a warning as both Cassian and Azriel turned to assess the threat, to shout a warning about the five others appearing behind them, tried to shout before a gloved hand clamped down over her mouth, pinching her nose at the same time. She wriggled, but a sharp point pressed into her back, digging into her spine,

"Don't move," a voice hissed in her ear, the hand over her mouth and nose forcing her head up uncomfortably, keeping her off balance, unable to breathe through the hand covering her face, watching as Azriel whirled just in time to block a knife hurtling through the air. Rhys. Where was Rhys? He could still help them. Through her blurring vision, she made out a faint sound, to her right this time, away from the fight, the clash of swords her mind told her, but it couldn't be, because that would mean, she blinked to clear her head, that would mean that Rhys had been intercepted too, that Cassian and Azriel were on their own. She slowly maneuvered her hand to get into a position to escape her attacker, but he tightened his grip, "Move, and this dagger goes into your spine, not even your pretty bastard and his shadowsinging will let you walk again." Gwyn froze immediately, her fear an icy torrent through her veins, he meant it, she could tell he meant it, with the quiet anger, the slight hiss of his voice, he would hurt her, and worse, if she didn't get away. She relaxed in his grip, letting him think he'd won, that she'd given up, would go quietly. The moment the dagger at her back lifted slightly, relieving the pressure, she surged backwards, colliding with the male's legs and sending him off balance, both hands whirling through the air to find his balance again, that dagger cast to the side. He was still kneeling above her though, and glared down at her when he grabbed a branch to steady himself, "You'll pay for that, bitch," he snarled, but Gwyn moved faster, turning onto her back and firing her foot forwards as hard as she could, almost wincing at the impact.

She knew the impact that her kick would have, but knowing, and seeing the male go glassy-eyed and keel over, groaning in pain at that single blow were two different things. She'd meant to kick him in the thigh, to push him off, she'd missed, but that probably wasn't a bad thing. She huffed to herself, and brushed herself down, delivering a quick blow to the temple to knock him out. It took a few moments to steady her breathing, to draw in the air she desperately needed, leaving Cassian and Azriel alone for a few, too long, moments before sprinting for the males attacking Cassian and Azriel, more than there should be, and a different tactic. They'd been played, somehow they'd been played, maybe those plans had been fake just in case, maybe they'd already been recognized by the time she'd found them, but it didn't matter as she hurtled along the path, her sword a gleaming steak of steel beside her. Rhys was still nowhere to be seen, but by the sounds of fighting, he was close by, and getting closer.