Forbidden Love (Rewritten) | Arthur Pendragon

38 • THE DARKEST HOUR

The next day, the ravage of the open veil had already struck. It was barely dawn, and Eowyn had just woken up when Gudmund hurried into her chambers to inform her of an incident. When she arrived, the Knights of Camelot were already gathered with Gaius, Alfhild, and Agravaine around a young maiden. Soon after, Merlin and Arthur arrived. According to the girl, Drea, her village was attacked by faceless beings that killed all the inhabitants, rendering her the sole survivor. And as she spoke, both Merlin and Eowyn could hear in the distance screams or feel eerie presences. They shared looks as if silently asking each other if the other had heard it, wishing that it was only the product of their imagination as no one else seemed to have heard it. Unfortunately, the uneasiness in their eyes confirmed what they dreaded.

Arthur decided to immediately ride to the village of Howden, which was located to the east of the White Mountains, so no more than half a day's hard ride.

"Your Majesty, you should be resting," Lancelot said when he saw Eowyn, accompanied by Alfhild, both in traveling gear. Gudmund was to stay in Camelot to handle affairs in her name.

"What is attacking Camelot won't stop at the borders, and Usad is the closest neighboring kingdom. It is my duty to come."

"Wouldn't it be safer to rest after what happened yesterday?"

"I'm coming." Eowyn mounted her horse. "And that's non-negotiable."

"I already tried; there's no convincing her," Arthur said.

Lancelot was not doubting Eowyn at all. After battling alongside her during the war against Cenred, he had seen how resolute and brave she was, only strengthening his admiration for her. He had always known, having witnessed her quick wit and her magic, how extraordinary she was. But seeing her on the battlefield, it was different. So he knew, by now, that she would never back down when the innocent was in danger. And he respected that, though he also worried.

However, despite the strong front she put up, Eowyn was frightened. More than she had ever been before. What they were about to walk into, it was like nothing she had ever faced. Not even the undead scared her, for they were still physical. Her Hofund could vanquish them. But if what Drea had said was right, if they could not be touched, how were they supposed to kill them? It was like trying to catch smoke with bare hands.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her grip on the horse's reins grew tighter. She hated that. Everything was so... uncanny and eerie. Something was wrong with everything. The way the leaves moved; the wind blew. Something was sick. Ill. And the opened veil was the cause of it. It was plaguing the world and slowly getting to her.

"Winnie," Merlin called. She could see that he, too, was frightened. He had grown scared of his own shadow. "Do you feel anything?"

"No. And that's the issue. The wind... I cannot understand it anymore."

Merlin's eyes widened. "You can't?"

"All I feel is this sense of death it carries. Cold and empty. Fear... Soullessness..."

"So what Drea has said is true, then?" Sir Leon asked.

"Without a doubt. Though, I advise everyone to expect worse than what she has described."

When they arrived at Howden, the village was lacking any form of life. Silence reigned. Everything was left abandoned as everyone had fled. Or everyone had died. So much so that the slightest sound made everyone flinch. The party scattered around to survey the village, but there was no soul around. Eventually, Elyan's voice resonated in the air, and everyone rushed to him. Inside the house he was in, the knight was crouching down, staring at the frosted corpses of a couple.