What Lurks Behind The Trees

Trouble on the way

"My king! The prisoners escaped!" A guard came barging into the king's chambers.

"What prisoners?" The king said from where he sat at his desk, writing on parchment.

"The cursed."

The king lifted his head from the paper, eyebrows furrowed in anger "Send men. I want them back dead or alive. Except that Blackwood boy, I want him alive."

"Yes, my king." The guard bowed his head.

"If you don't bring them back you'll be punished. Do you understand?"

The soldier nodded frantically.

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They walked for days, along the grassy fields, the steep hills, across rivers and lakes, through thick trees and rocky valleys. They were heading for the great Stygian forest, walking east, but hunger made them slower.

"Can we rest for a bit?" Gregor asked collapsing on the ground from fatigue.

"No, I heard there's a village nearby, let's stop there." Alan smiled outstretching his hand to help Gregor up. Gregor groaned in agony.

Aden clapped him on the back and laughed "Stop being such a baby!" Gregor glared at him and jerked away, making Aden laugh more.

"Gregor you need to hide your eye somehow. People will get suspicious if they see it."

"How?"

"I'll get someone to make you an eye patch."

They walked until they reached a small village. The cabins were scattered around with a stable and a farm, the familiar atmosphere of people living a peaceful life. It reminded Gregor of his village, Wilagorn and he felt a tightness in his chest as he remembered his family and how he probably left his father to die. Gregor closed his left eye as they entered the village. Little children chased chickens around the streets, men carried wood for fire, and women hung their laundry outside. The scene made Gregor warm inside, a tear almost slipping past his eye. He felt homesick and alone. He tucked those feeling in the back of his mind and carried on walking.

Everyone stared at them. Probably because they were a large group of men who looked half dead. They went to get some food and weapons from one of the taverns in the village, paying with the money they stole from the guards they killed. People kept staring and whispering.

"Alan." Gregor leaned in and whispered in his ear "there's something wrong."

"I know let's get out of here quickly."

"I'm sure you'd like to know, but some guards have come looking for a group of men." A man from the tavern said.

They looked at each other. "Thank you for telling us, is there a way we can leave without getting noticed?"

"Yes, if you leave through that back door."

They all stood up and walked out through the back door. "Shh" Alan said putting a finger to his lips, he could here the guards armour from around the tavern. They walked away from the village quietly, and once they were at a safe distance they ran.

"That was close." Aden said.

"Yes it was." Said a voice from the back "Put your swords and weapons down."

They all turned around slowly, and standing there, were around two hundred soldiers. They had horses. Alan unsheathed his sword and everyone followed, Gregor summoned his arm and the soldiers stepped back in fear. One of the soldiers leaned to the leader and said "thats him." their leader nodded, glaring at Gregor.

"Put your weapons down and no one gets hurt." He said cautiously.

"That's my line." Aden said.

"We're not playing games here." the soldier said coming closer.

Alan came closer and everyone followed. He raised his sword up "Charge!" and everyone behind him ran towards the soldiers with the heavy armour. The other side charged too, and when both sides collided, blood started spilling. The sound of choking and screaming filled Gregor's ears as he stared at the terrifying image before him. His heart stopped at his throat and his eyes twitched at the horror.

"Gregor, we need you!" He looked around and saw Alan with pleading eyes, and suddenly all Gregor could think of was protecting this group of friends he made in the past few weeks and he couldn't let them down. He swallowed, raised his arm and charged at the soldiers, slitting their throats and stabbing their backs as he passed. He killed many of them with one strike, but there were a lot of them, and they were protected by their armour. Alan's sword skills were swift and light, Aden was powerful and sharp. Gregor jumped on one of the horses using it to briskly strike the men. But that quickly ended when one soldier used his sword to pierce the horse, Gregor fell with the horse. The soldier was strong and big, he killed people like it was a game.

He approached Gregor "The king said we must not kill you, but that doesn't mean we can't hurt you." his eyes wide and bloodshot. Gregor scrambled to get up but the man kicked him in the stomach knocking the air out of him. Gregor heaved painfully and tried to stand up again, but the man kicked him again. Gregor gasped for air and held his torso in pain. The soldier held his sword to Gregor's cheek and stared into his eyes as if he was taunting him, telling him mentally "I dare you.". He dragged his sword down his cheek slowly, leaving a trail of red behind. He moved the blade down to his neck and before he could reach the end of his neck, blood splattered out of the soldier's mouth as Aden stabbed him from his back. He fell on his face next to Gregor. Aden helped Gregor up.

"It's over."

Gregor looked around in horror, bodies scattered on the ground covered in blood. All dead eyes staring back at him, as if blaming him. Gregor could never get used to this.

"We lost about seventy men. But the good news is that now we have horses."

"Let's bury the dead."

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Her eyes fluttered open. Grey eyes shadowed by thick brown lashes. She blinked a few times to get her eyes used to the light that was coming through the window. She closed them again for a few seconds, listening to the birds chirping outside, and the river flowing nearby. She swallowed and licked her lips, her throat dry from not being used. She opened her eyes again. "Mother." Her voice comes out like a croak. "Mother" she says again a bit clearer, a bit louder.

"Laina?" A voice by her side says.

Laina smiled at her mother, eyes twinkling in happiness.

"Mother!"

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Part 9 complete! Please comment and vote!