Tales of Darkness and Light (Book 1 Complete)

Chapter 8: Of Realizations and Untreaded Waters

Chapter 8: Of Realizations and Untreaded Waters

The nerve of him. For all the wisdom of Delos, Addy could have never predicted just how poorly her dear childhood friend had turned out. How dare he insult her sword fighting skills when he had never even seen her in action!

Was it the lack of an ancient and noble blade, a supposed lack of noble blood, that made Hayden think that it was acceptable to treat her so poorly? She dismissed the thought right away. Whatever Hayden had become in the last few years, she didn't think that he'd stoop so low as to judge someone based on their status.

Still, he was a far cry from the boy she had once known. The boy she had -

Addy was pulled out of her head by a nudge from Lillian. She looked out from under the log where she had been hiding, and bit her lip to hide a gasp. It was Mordan's Watch, a small army of soldiers. There were at least two dozen people wearing black and red cloaks.

She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a silent scream. When that failed to calm her nerves, she sat on her shaking hands, praying to the gods that her friend and ex-friend didn't see how much she was freaking out.

"Commander, I believe that we have found another band of rebels." It was a woman with long black hair flowing loosely from her shoulders, and a sadistic smile. "I will take great pleasure in crushing them."

Addy glanced at the woman with an appraising eye. Something about her was just so... familiar? She was clearly a woman of Mordan, however, and growing up as an Aluran princess she could count the number of people she met from the dark, desolate country on one hand.

"I admire your initiative, Lady Casper," a rumbling voice echoed through the clearing, harsh and low and not at all human.

Yes, that was it. Darrell Casper was the lord that she and Lillian had fought in Casta. This woman must have been some sort of relative, maybe a sister or a cousin. She exchanged a glance with Lillian, and Hayden looked between them with a confused expression.

"Their horses are still here, and the fire appears to be newly lit," the woman said. "Wherever the rebel filth are, they couldn't have gone too far."
Rebel filth. The watchwoman sounded like one of the villains from the fantasy books that Eliza was always reading. Or, had always read. She had no clue what her former friend was doing now.

A horde of Mordan soldiers entered the clearing, swarming the campsite. One of them, a young-looking blonde woman, put out the fire with a murky looking brown liquid that smelled suspiciously like manure. Addy felt bile rise up in her throat at the smell. Hayden made a coughing noise.

The commander eyed Apple with a predatory glint in his eyes that made Addy feel more than a little uncomfortable. "The horses are of no use to us. I think we ought to kill them now."

Addy and Lillian exchanged a desperate glance. They had grown attached to their respective horses, and they were not going to lose them to Mordan's Watch, of all people. They turned to Hayden, their gazes pleading.

He gave them a look as if to say: they're just horses.

In return, Hayden was given a fierce look and his most likely life saving advice was discarded.

Addy turned to Lillian. "You go out into the woods and take the long-range, pick them off one by one. Hayden and I will split them up, each takes half. We aren't letting the Watch win this time."

Lillian nodded and took off into the woods, running sideways down along the camp. Addy heard a thud and a cry of pain as the first arrow hit its mark, and the camp dissolved into commotion, with screaming and trampling as the soldiers tried to figure out what had happened.