Mind of a Warrior

Chapter 7

ANDREAS POV

"HELP, HELP!" I started sobbing helplessly.

"You're next, Andreas."

As fast as the light, my eyes shot open with a scream stuck in my throat. Taking series of calming breaths, I tried to slow my racing heart. It has been ten years, and these nightmares still haven't left me.

No light shined behind the curtains, my eyes could barely make out the shape of my tent. Though it sufficed to assure my self that nothing had changed, I was still in my small tent, everything is fine. Reaching towards my left, I made sure that my knives were still next to my pillow. This should have been my first reflex I scolded myself.

The night was cold but the chills running through my body were not due to the temperature. I could not shake the feeling of having witnessed the same exact moment I had seen ten years ago. These freshly imprinted images held me captive in my own memories. I hated that the only thing I could see was the lifeless eyes of my parents, brothers, and friends. Even though they haunted me every day, following my every step, they also fueled my courage.

The camp was quiet... no. It was not quiet, on the contrary, it was unusually animated. The nightmares had me completely distracted. I picked a pair of breeches that were sitting on my desk in the middle of piles and piles of papers. I was such a mess.

I left the comfort of my tent, stepping out on the humid ground. Two men were holding torches at the edge of the forest. What the hell were they doing? We were rationing the use of resin. I had specifically asked them not to use it unless necessary. I stepped towards them, oh yes, they were going to get the scolding of their life.

When I came closer to them, I realized that I knew the silhouettes. Ian, one of my most loyal friend with another man. Noticing my approach, they turned towards me wide-eyed.

There was something wrong.

I looked at Ian, my eyes full of worry. He was my brother, my friend. His strikingly dark eyes looked older than his twenty years after the horrors he had witnessed and his long hair fell sloppily on his shoulders. His disheveled appearance mirrored mine, his shirt was not tucked in, and he had forgotten his boots.

The red cloth on the other man's arm told me his status as a new recruit.

Acknowledging them with a nod, I waited expectantly for an answer.

"The girl, she escaped. We don't know how. Ethan, here, was on the watch and has called me as soon as he found the empty tent. I went looking there as fast as I could. The bindings were undone, there were no signs of knife cut and the tent was torn up. I don't understand how she was able to escape. What do we do Andreas?" his words were cut by his ragged breathing.

I looked at the two rebels, running my two hands through my hair while closing my eyes. Why did the girl had to pose so much trouble?  She was going to run straight to the Laekan warriors. And if she were to become one of them I would have to kill her. Why couldn't she just stay? I could have used her talent with a katana. She was good, and I had not fought someone like this for a long time, not since my father died.

With exasperation, I said, "Ian, go call our best trackers. We need to catch her before she goes to the island of Laï. After come back to me, we need to see how she escaped," I opened my eyes, "Ethan, you have to wake the whole council. Tell them to meet me in front of my tent."

"Yes, sir," they said and immediately went running to their task.

I looked at their silhouettes receding into the camp. Ethan, though still young, will make a good rebel. I stocked this information in a corner of my mind.

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Only thirty minutes and the whole camp was awake. I had to scream to be heard while asking for silence. I ordered the families to stay in their tent and for the fighters to join me. They were now all seated in front of the members of the council and me.

"SILENCE!" I ordered.

Their heads snapped in my directions and bowed in respect.

"You all believe something serious has happened, I am here to reassure all of you that no one is in danger. Indeed, the girl we had captured has only escaped. However, the important matter is that I believe someone helped her escape. Someone in our camp, and--"

"What makes you say that sir?" a boy with a long crooked nose inquired.

"Boy, do not interrupt me! I was going to explain. When we had captured the girl, we made sure that two guards were stationed outside of the tent, and we had made sure she had no weapon. However, when I looked inside, the tent was torn up. The guards had not seen when she left through the back. As Ian told me, it was impossible for her to escape without help. The tent was torn by a dagger, and I repeat; she had none. 

Friends, we are here to fight against magic, we are not cruel. Our goal is to save our fellow countrymen from magic. Whoever helped her escape, made a big mistake. She will run straight to the Laekan warriors to learn how to handle magic. The one who has freed her has freed another human that will soon become our enemy, who will be corrupted by magic.

If any of you are against our beliefs, you do not belong here. Leave, we will not punish you nor pursue you. Friends, it is our task to save our country from magic. We will fight until the end, and we will not tolerate traitors in our midst. If the person comes before tomorrow at dawn, we will pardon him or her and he or she will be able to stay. If he or she does not come and we discover who it is, this person will have no choice but to leave. 

Thank you, you are all dismissed."

The rebels bowed their head in respect and took their leave. The council members, stayed immobile until all the fighters had left. 

Then the rain of questions came while I started walking towards my tent.

"What are we going to do?"

"What do you propose?"

"Who do you think is our traitor?"

I tuned those questions out, my head full of many unanswered questions. But I knew that there was nothing I could do except, waiting, and investigating.

That is what I shall do.

I stopped, meeting a piercing pair of gray eyes, Elizabeth, our doctor and our oldest member of the council. She was silent, waiting patiently next to a tree.

I loved her, she was like a mother to me, each time I ended up wounded, she was there to stitch me back up. Her hands were like a mothers touch, firm but soft. If there was anyone I cared more about than Ian, it was her. She knew the pain I had gone through and had no look of pity in her eyes except love and compassion.

A stray of her gray hair was stuck in a branch of an oak. I came closer and disentangled her hair, her laugh gently tickled my neck. When I stepped back and plunged my eyes into hers, I had no doubt that I would lay my life for her. No matter what.

My heart squeezed, thinking about my own mother. Oh, I missed her.

Puting these depressing thoughts in the back of my mind, I gently kissed her cheek and left without a word towards my cozy bed.

There was nothing more I could do today, I was tired and needed sleep or else I would not function correctly. 

I was going to think later about how the girl escaped.

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Merci! As always if you have any comments please tell me. 

Sorry for the long wait.

Louise <3