When Embers Grow

Chapter Ten: An Unexpected Encounter

Edited
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With a soft laugh, Irian had told her that they were in Wyld, a forest deep in Englyterra some far north. This would explain the cold. Ivy clung to her arms and repressed a shiver that had starting to curl its icy claws up her spine. Wyld was famous for its snowy winters and skyscraping trees.

"Cold?" Asked a cheery voice from beside her.

"Not even a little." She spoke to Iel in a careless way, tossing her hand to emphasise her point. Which evidently sent a shudder up her back from the cold.

He smirked, a friendly smirk though, not like the mocking smirks that Ivy had been gifted when training.

"Well, why don't you come by the fire?" He asked it as if it was obvious. She shrugged, suddenly shy.

"I don't really belong." She croaked out.

Daniel stiffened, back taut as a bow string. Ivy's brows came together in confusion and she was about to ask what was wrong when something crunched in the shrubbery. Her head whipped around to look at whatever had caused the noise and her eyes widened.

There, jumping from the bushes and walking towards the bench that Ivy sat upon, was a man; a soldier no doubt. His eyes were glassy and determined, only his goal in mind. His hand reached for the hilt of his longsword and then seemed to hover over it. With a sigh, he dropped his hand down and then brought both up in front of his body, palms facing Iel and Ivy.

"I do not come in violence." He announced to them and the rest of the camp as they came hurtling around him with all sorts of weapons at the ready.

Ivy stood without a thought of grace and walked over to the man. His dirty blonde hair hung long past his shoulders, it was tangled and unkept. Her fingers itched to cut it all off with a satisfying chomp.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Asked Irian in his cool and calculating voice. The man smirked at this in a smarmy way. Never mind cutting his hair, I'd rather cut his face, said her sadistic side of her mind. She shushed it off and listened from the back of the cluster of people, tapping her foot absentmindedly.

"My name is Eysle and I'd like to offer you a deal."

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Ivy's eyebrows flew up at Eysle, the fool was surrounded by more than thirty people and he acted like he was having a pleasant time at a dinner party. He did have an offer to make though, Ivy's gut told her it was a good one too. Maybe he wasn't such a fool after all.

Ivy took him in, taking the moment to size up Eysle, he wore silver armor and chainmail with a red piece of cloth over his chest with a strange symbol on it. The symbol consisted of white swirls with a cloaked and hooded figure in the centre, its arms raised up and holding fire in one hand and a sword in the other. Tilting her head, she didn't hear what Irian said next.

"No, I shall stay and announce it to everyone here." The man's jaw was set in a stubborn line. Irian stiffened slightly but he nodded at Eysle to continue.

"My proposal comes from the great soon-to-be K-" Eysle broke of his sentence with a harsh intake of breath, his face paled and then his face turned cold and unreadable. Ivy tried to hide her smile, he had just accidentally told a camp of people a person's intentions, and she had a feeling she knew who had sent him.

He started again, his stance of confidence slowly ebbing away.

"My proposal comes from the great Lord Roman Of Fort Dalair home in the Ice realms of Portenov." Ivy blinked, the Ice realms? They had all been destroyed when she had been taken by the assassins; almost all of the residents had died and the few that had lived had gone mad.