Tangled Fates

Chapter 19 Caleb

The steady thrum of hooves against the dirt pathway echoed in rhythm with my heartbeat, a rhythmic clatter that marked our journey southward. Two weeks had passed since we'd left the castle, each day stretching taut with tension and uncertainty.

Beside me, Nadia rode in silence, her usually warm brown eyes clouded with concern. I could see the strain etched into her features, her shoulders rigid as if bearing an invisible weight, jaw set in a firm line that belied her internal turmoil. The humid air clung to us like a second skin, causing wisps of her chestnut curls to stick damply to her forehead. Thunderclouds brooded in the distance, their presence reflecting the somber mood that had descended upon our group of guardsmen as we ventured closer to the witches' covens.

A metallic taste filled my mouth at the thought of more witches. Their demeanor and their ilk sent a chill skittering down my spine like an unwelcome guest. My father's voice echoed hauntingly in my mind. His stern warnings about witches and their potential danger were seared into my memory. He'd forced me into countless nights of studying their kind, quizzing me until I was bleary-eyed and punishing me when I faltered on answers he deemed important.

My father was not an unkind man. He loved me fiercely and raised me to be strong for our pack. Yet his hatred for witches was a poison that tainted even our most cherished moments together. Holidays soured by his harsh lessons, birthdays marred by his insistence on drilling witch lore into my brain.

The reins felt heavy in my hands as I tightened my grip, an echo of the burden pressing into my conscience. If he were still alive, he would have commanded me to kill Nadia without hesitation. A half-witch living amongst us was unthinkable.

I shook the thought away, focusing instead on the road ahead. The journey was far from over, and there were more pressing matters at hand than my father's painful ministrations.

"Storm's on the horizon," Garrick, one of my fellow elite guards, announced, his voice slicing through the clopping of hooves against the earthen path. He pointed towards the gathering storm clouds, their dark forms a stark contrast against the otherwise clear sky. "We should locate a suitable campsite before it descends upon us. Seems like it's going to be a fierce one."

"Mmm," I responded, my gaze sweeping over our weary horses. Their flanks heaved with exertion and their eyes held a tired glint. "The horses are due for some rest anyway. We've been pushing them hard these past days."

Garrick's features tightened into a grimace as he nodded. "Never been fond of venturing into witch territory myself," he admitted, his tone laced with unease. "Their kind... meddling with spells and cavorting with unholy beings, beasts and demons... It's not natural."

I offered only a hum in reply, my attention shifting back to Nadia, who rode alongside us. As half-witch herself, her keen senses would have picked up on our conversation despite the cacophony of horse hooves pounding onto the ground and leather reins creaking under strained grips.

Her expression remained unreadable, her warm brown eyes revealing nothing of what might be brewing within her mind. Despite her invaluable contributions to our pack, healing the sick and tending to wounded warriors, she always seemed to vanish once her work was done. She'd slip away like a wisp of smoke after a fire had been extinguished.

If it weren't for her uncanny knack for materializing around every corner of Silver Moon when least expected, I might have assumed she was intentionally evading people.

We rode on in silence for a while longer before I guided my mount closer to hers. Her warm brown eyes flickered towards me, a single arched brow silently questioning my sudden proximity.