Atfirst, the cohort had been subdued, likely due to my presence.Iremained withdrawn from them, asIalways had.Aftergiving them a few days of space,Isaw them starting to come back together withToriat the heart of it.
Theyjoked and laughed as they worked and a few nights they had even had a few matches in the hand-to-hand combat thatTorihad taught them.ItseemedOryxquickly was adopted as one of their own, although he was certainly less boisterous than the rest of them.
Longago,Ihad accepted thatIwouldn’t be a part of this anymore, a king had to remain above and removed.ButseeingToriwith them brought me almost as much joy as if it had been me.
Sheunderstood my reservations and allowed me my space.Buton the first night when she had set up a small pallet for herself inside one of the cohort tents,I’ddragged her away.
“YouthinkI’mgoing to let them enjoy you all night?”Icarried her to our tent, but she was hesitant.
“Notmuch privacy behind just a layer of canvas.”
Iran my nose along her cheek and let the hand holding the back of her knees trace up and down her legs.
“Ididn’t think that was something that bothered you.”
“Thisis different, they are…my friends.Besides,Iknow there is no way you could stay quiet.”Shesmirked at me then and she wasn’t wrong.
“Oh,Ican think of a way, little bird.”Thatheat in her eyes grew, andIfell asleep that night relishing the taste of her after she had ridden my face into oblivion.
* * *
Asmall campset up by the previous expeditions was already in place.Canvastents surrounded a central bonfire, with soldiers milling about.Icould practically smell the body odor and rotting food from here.Nomatter how disciplined the army, a military camp was still a camp, and after weeks of existence, they started to fester.Ilooked atTorito find her smiling, excitement radiating from her.
“Don’tget too excited,Princess.We’reupwind, you haven’t smelled that place yet.”Behindme the others made affirming noises, but her spirits weren’t damped.Shegently kicked her horse forward and led us down to the encampment.
Wedropped our horses at the shanty that was being used as a stable.Therest of the cohort made haste to unload and integrate into the camp, butIledToritoward the central command tent.Iwas greeted byCommanderTaliuswho had been in charge.
“Anyupdated information on finding the ruins in the forest?”Iasked.
“Unfortunately, no.Westill send scouts and cartographers daily.Everytime they come back with conflicting information.Noone has stayed in the forest overnight and survived.”
“Iwant to see it,”Torisaid with authority, andTaliusdidn’t question it.
“I’llsummon a soldier to accompany you.”
“Noneed.I’lltake one of my own.”Herown.Icouldn’t help but chuckle.
“I’llescort the princess as well.”
Wemade our way out of the camp,TorifindingKaleosandOryxalong the way and signaling them to follow.
Thecamp had been set up a short distance from the edge of the forest.Initially, it had been along the forest’s edge but had been moved back.Iunderstood why.
Whilespring brought new life to theDragonKingdom, the forest seemed removed from that.Atfirst glance one might have thought it a forest like any other, ancient beyond compare, but ordinary.Butthere was nothing ordinary here.
Justa few paces into the forest, even with the noonday sun high above us, no light penetrated the canopy.Totaland suffocating darkness spread like a malignancy between the few trees that could be seen, and then nothing.Nobirds sang, and the wind that blew from the forest was frosty, despite the warm day.Occasionalscuttling could be heard from inside, like a beast with too many legs crawling over the forest floor, but it was the unnerving silence that seemed to dominate all.Nothingsurvived there.
Torishivered beside me, “Eversince theEternalKingdomfell, this place has been cursed.Afterthe king and queen were murdered, stories say that the corrupted magic they possessed leaked into the surrounding forest, and it became eternally drenched in darkness.”
“Doesn’tsound so farfetched, seeing it now,” saidKaleos, who stood behindToriwith a hand onOryx’sshoulder.Thesmaller, red-haired man shivered as well.
“Whyis it so quiet?”Oryxasked. “Theforest just to the west of here wasn’t anything like this.”
“It’sstalking us,”Toriwhispered. “Waitingfor us to walk into its wide-open jaws.”Asshe spoke, another gust of frozen wind seemed to answer her.
Shelooked at me, “GoodthingI’venever been very good at knowing when to back down.”
“Goodthing we brought the harpoon,”Kaleoschuckled.
