The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

The Game

"Wait." I whispered as I pulled my companions to a stop before we got within eyesight of the Royal guards.

I led us behind a small cluster of tents. John tore his helmet off. His skin was slick with sweat under it and his brown eyes darted to mine in confusion. 'Now I know how the boar feels before it is set to roast.' He panted out.

I drew my visor up and exhaled heavily. Kaden did the same.

"We need the keys. If we have any chance of making a clean getaway, we need the keys, we need horses and we need as much of that gold as we can carry."

Kaden drew his brows together. "Why not just take the whole carriage?" He deadpanned at us.

We both stared at him in utter bewilderment.

John was the first to recover. "I don't know if perhaps the remnants of your brain have trickled into those boulders you call arms–"

Kaden took a swipe at his face with the blunt end of the pike. John scarcely dodged the attack in time and continued on as if nothing happened.

"–but we will not have the speed or stealth to make it out of here alive with the entire treasury. Taking three horses will give us the advantage in both ways and we are monumentally more conspicuous when we ride into town." He finished with an eye roll.

"If you're afraid of a little resistance..." Kaden jibed as shifted the pike to rest on his shoulder.

"Enough." I growled. "I have had to play mother enough for one lifetime during the space of a day." I eyed them both closely. "Both of you stifle your incessant need to be children and focus. Kaden–" His grey eyes snapped to mine, '–secure us three horses that have been watered and fed." He dropped a nod. "John, we need three of those guards to shift rotation but before that point I need you to arrange a distraction far greater than before." He smirked back at me with chaos promised in his smile.

"If you think the fire was bad in our tent that morning... well. Let us just say you haven't seen the finished product increased in size." He murmured.

"Eagerly awaited." I muttered. "I will get the keys. When we all have those tasks complete, we will replace the guards and release the decoy. If any guards remain behind, kill them." I finished.

They both nodded slowly and secured their helmets back in place.

We all went off in separate directions. I had kept a cool demeanour in place the entire time I was with my friends. But inside my heart was tearing a direct path out of my chest. This was the most risk laden, high octave and lethal mission we had ever undertaken. All I could see was the three of us strung up in front of the King's palace, a note over our head's saying: "Psychopaths" 

I kept my stride even as I marched back through the camp in search of a certain Captain with a very specific set of keys.

Soldiers continued to show respect as I passed. It would have been a nice feeling if I wasn't so filled with nerves and thoughts of our impending doom. Damn the odds and damn the rules, damn the odds and damn the rules, damn the--

I missed a step when the glimmering armour of the Captain came into sight. Her plate metal reflected the nearby firelight like molten gold. Her night black hair was still flawlessly kept in check by her braid and her sharp ice eyes scanned a group of sheepish soldiers in front of her. I could hear the shouting from here.

I resisted the urge to groan as I realised I had no solid game plan and I could not let her see my face again. If she saw a scout in Royal armour it was game over entirely. Even if it came to a clash of swords... it wouldn't be a problem, but over ten fighters at once may cause a sweat.