Veils of Storm

5. Monsters Lurking

Cage made his way down the stairs of the inn, his head already pounding with both annoyance and a much more complicated feeling he couldn't yet identify.

He'd noticed Kat's displeasure regarding their journey, and her silence grated on his nerves. Yes, she was trying to prove herself, but that did not mean she wouldn't have normally said something about it. Ever since he'd returned from his meeting with Cecile, it felt like they were both skirting around each other, the honesty and companionship between them all but gone.

Why? What happened in those few hours?

Well, he knew what had happened to him, but what about her? Was she maybe also annoyed that the magic between them tainted their feelings? Was she even aware of that? And why did it matter? It's not like knowing made him love her any less.

But the truth was, it did, at least to him. Ever since he'd gotten cursed, the possibility of a normal life had been taken for him. And now, the most beautiful thing he'd found, the one that saved his life, was also tainted by magic. And he was rejecting it with everything he had. Magic brought nothing but misery.

He reached the outside of the building and the chilly winter wind digging into him managed to sober him up and extinguish the fire inside him. His feelings didn't matter, not now. He had work to do.

Keeping his hand on the pommel of his sword, he made his way around the building, straining his hearing for any sound that might be out of place. He could hear distant voices, but apart from that, the woods were eerily silent, even for winter.

Once he turned the next corner of the building, he spotted two of the other men residing in the inn. They were fairly tall and gruff, one of them sporting graying black hair, while the other had shaggy ginger hair and a mustache. They froze once they heard the sound of his boots crunching in the snow and Cage fleetingly wondered if it sounded odd that so much noise came from such a tiny man.

"Don't let my presence interrupt you," he said. "I'm merely taking a stroll."

The two men didn't seem to believe him, keeping narrowed eyes on him as their gloved hands drifted towards their swords. A part of Cage bristled at the hostility, but he was well aware that times has changed since the last time he'd been out and about, demanding respect and loyalty everywhere he went because he was part of the Crown.

Yes, a lot had changed in seven years and it pained him that he didn't know why. And treating everyone with suspicion was not going to get him any answers. So he relaxed his stance and headed for the two men. They further tensed and took tiny steps back.

"Were you discussing a private matter and wish to be left alone or may I join you?" he asked, keeping his tone as friendly as possible while also slipping a bit of a Talian accent in it.

"We are merely wary of too friendly strangers," the older man said. "Especially foreigners."

Cage let out an amused huff. "So we at the borders are foreigners now? When will they be shipping us off to Talia all together?"

"You speak of treason!" The ginger man grabbed the hilt of his sword.

Cage didn't even tense. He could see the outrage was well orchestrated to prove a point and the man was not about to attack him. But it did raise a few dangerous flags.

"So taking jest is treason up north now?"

The ginger man made to draw his sword, but his companion stilled his hand. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"Galata."

"Right on the border." The graying man released his friend and nodded further along. Cage followed and the three of them stepped away from the inn and next to the stable instead. "Is your wife also from Galata?"