Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

2 Dawn Arrives

The night passed by swiftly when I closed the book and leaned over the counter tired. My head weighed heavily on my shoulders while I laid it on the book. Closing my eyes, I fell asleep within an instant.

Someone shook my shoulder, and I shot up awake. Glancing about me, one of the soldiers stood next to me.

"It's dawn, we cannot keep his Majesty waiting,"

I grabbed my sword from the counter and attached it to my hip. I realized I did not see Zelme around. He must have gone to his bed. I yawned while walking toward the door.

The soldiers followed close behind me. We wandered back to the grove up ahead us. I wished I did not say dawn would be the meeting time because I hardly rested. At least I was prepared to play my role, but I sacrificed time and effort for the sake of deceiving my enemy into trusting me as a guide through a treacherous grove according to the book I read.

King Regales waited by the edge line between the city and the grove where I ran into him the day before. He noticed us and he beamed.

I focused on what I came here for. He needs to trust me and to do that I need to build a bond with the person I will have to rid Terra of.

"Morning Dane," his hollow voice called out to me.

I smiled weakly. "Morning your Majesty," I bowed when we closed in. "I'm sorry for nearly being late. I had some research to attend to when I got back to the store."

He smiled and laughed lightly. "Quite alright, young Dane. I apologize for inconveniencing you like this, but it is imperative that I find His Highness."

I felt an urge to back away from him but tried to take it one breath at a time. "You do realize I'm not a soldier, just an herbalist?" I questioned striding up to the grove. "I have my share of terrible luck scouring the grove with beasts attacking left and right. Finding His Highness won't be that easy, from the rumors I've heard he's not the type to back down on his own beliefs."

Regales set his gaze on the grove instead of at my eyes. "Right you are, but it confounds me you know your way around the grove without wounds. Most of my men cannot search every area unscathed as you."

I smiled at the compliment as if it meant much. "Maybe they don't like you as much as me,"

"Suppose you are right," he conceded while staying close to me throughout our venture into the grove.

It was strange walking alongside the person who was hunting me down. I had a mission to complete and if he stood in the way, that was that. I must end his life or his path of world destruction.

The Old Crow stuck close to me, though I knew the grove from the maps and herbs that grew around here. His eyes glanced about searching for a sign of the Prince he would never find. I noticed his grip on his right side grew tighter. He was frustrated that I slipped away the way I did after snapping the man's neck. Or maybe...

I pulled my eyes from the grip at his side and felt a chill. I stopped in an open patch of the trees. The large thin sticks like crooked iron poles diverging into the sky. This part of the grove did not seem safe in the slightest.

"I think it's in the best interest we move through here without stopping," I stated.

I felt his eyes on me. "Is there something to be concerned about?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "We need to get moving, it's not a safe area for anyone." A shiver shot up to my neck and I cringed. Attempting to vacate the area, I felt my feet grow numb. I turned my head to check on Regales while something drew closer to our position behind us. We might not escape the beast that was drawing closer with every step we took. Unsheathing my sword, I prepared for a fight.