Warlord's Ward

The Last Camp

"Stop!" Vexation emerged from the trees behind us. Looking at the man who was still tying his breeches as he approached us in long strides. A vicious looking, scarred man.

Nothing like Vexation.

This man looked evil.

"Gideon!" Vexation barked.

Making the man straighten as he caught sight of the huge man approaching the camp. Clearly considering Vex his superior.

"Call off your men before they kill more."

"Who are they?" Gideon demanded. Eyeing us with a bit of vindictiveness. "He just killed Jeron."

"They are honored guests of Lorem."

"Lorem?" Gideon's voice lowered in deference. "I am assigned as their escort and more come behind us. A band of mages that Lorem has managed to sway to our side."

"Mages!" Gideon cried in shock.

He's not going to by that. I was looking at them worriedly.

Killian was backing up toward me. Blocking anyone from approaching me.

"Our leader is a persuasive man." Vex dismissed. "Let them through. We must be on our way. My camp will be coming behind the mages."

Vex scooped me under his arm, tucking me beneath his cloak in a secretive way. "Stay close. I'm covered in basil. The scent will mask your female pheromone a bit."

"Why?" I asked him.

"Hides the smell of my blood. It has a different tinge." He said just as dismissively. Staring ahead.

Killian was close on our heels. Trusting that his uncle had no malicious intent in scooping me up on the way by, as he had.

"Gideon!" Vex called over his shoulder.

"Yes?" He turned, watching us in wondrous confusion. "You are to keep your men here and at the ready in case our leader needs a camp to retreat to tonight."

"Retreat? Lorem?"

"He has a contingency. Who are we to question him."

"Yes." Gideon nodded. "Come men. Gather and ready. For it may be a long night."

"It's the Mating Moon!" One man cried.

"Not tonight!" Another objected.

"Cease your bickering!" Gideon snapped. "We have the shack. Sate yourselves."

"What does that mean?" I hissed to Killian.

"We'll come back for her." He said urgently. Refusing to answer me.

I knew that meant it was something truly awful.

***

"Find them!" Kind Detry was roaring from atop his white horse. His royal robes draped over the back of the massive mount. "You once found us a path through the Wildwood and set about killing The Roamer."

He gave her a pointed look. "Surely tracking a small pack of wolves and massive party of mages should be nothing."

Irasus waved her fingers over the ground. Causing rocks to stir to life and float around her hands. Shifting as they revealed a path between them.

"What is she doing?" The knight next to the King, recently promoted to Captain of the Guard watched with a befuddled expression.

"Ssh." The King hissed. "The one thing she is good at."

The rocks before he began to shift falling into a line through the trees.

She lowered her hands and they fell in a straight line.

"Follow them." She said quietly. "They will reveal the direction they were touched."

The King heeled his mount, riding past her. He reached down to fist the hair at the back of her head.

It was a painful gesture that made her throw up her hands and hiss through her teeth in objection.

But before she could react, he was already riding off.

He'd clearly intended it as one might scruff a dog that did well and give its head a rough rub. Seeing very little difference between she and a hound.

Irasus stumbled after them, barefoot. And with chains winding from under her thing garments to encircle her ankles. Rattling as she walked.

"Why does she have those chains." One knight asked a more elder one.

"The King puts them on her so if she were to try and run from him, he would hear her anywhere she'd hide."

"Rather cruel." The younger knight remarked. Noting the mages great beauty admiringly.

"Especially unnecessary." The older knight added. "Since she once had a taste of freedom and still returned to him."

The younger knight clucked. "Like a captive bird that knows no different."

"Or one whose wings have been broken so long, she's forgotten to fly."

They were both quiet a moment. "What does the King intend to do if we find Warlord?"

"Defeat him." The older knight said.

The young one shifted uncomfortably in his saddle.

"That's hardly likely. Did you see what he did back there?" He gestured emphatically to the damaged castle.

"I did." The older one nodded. "But you don't know what she can do...I've seen it."

"Why have I never seen her then? Why wasn't she the mage commander?"

"She failed to kill the King of Moontower when she had the chance. Our King has thrown her in the Dungeon of Souls."

The younger man gave him a horrified look. "That's appalling."

"Yet she climbed to the top of those bodies and lives." The older one cautioned. "Don't be deceived by her pretty face. She's a far colder bastard than our own King."

***

King Detry entered the first wolf encampment.

They were relaxed in their camp until catching sight of the glinting armor. They shouted in complaint.

Detry rode into the center of them confidently. Spotting the black flag waving over the Commander's shack.

"Let me speak to your Commander, NightHunter." He said to the first wolf he came across.

The wolf, glared at him but sensed that now was not the time for bold defiance.

Not when the King stood here with an army behind him.

Enough to slaughter the wolf pack in this camp. King Detry noted. His cold brown gaze sliding over the roughened shacks and the single hut that looked like a stable structure, bearing the flag.

They were clearly a pitiful, untrained lot.

"Animals in the woods." The King murmured.

"What, My Liege?" The Captain, leaned closer to ask.

King Detry glared down his nose at him and shoved his head backward to push him away.

The guard who'd confronted them was still standing at the door banging but no answer was coming.

"Well?" Detry demanded.

"Commander Damus must be out." The man returned.