“Yes.”Ablank answer.Iwaited to see if he wouldgive me more, but instead he turned his horse around, following the flow of travelers behind his sister.
Wesettled at the top of a slight rise as the soldiers began setting up the camp.Itwas unnaturally silent, especially compared to every night on our journey out here.Everyonemoved as if they expected to be attacked at any moment.
Noone looked worse thanNoki, though.Hehad huge bags under his eyes, sallow skin, and cracked lips.
“Lem’sa right bastard; he was just jealous you chose me to lead this,” he mumbled as he helped the princess pull a huge canvas tent up.Shesaw me walking by and tossed a rope at my face.Ibarely managed to stop it from making contact before fumbling and dropping it to the ground.
Shesighed. “Beuseful and hold that tight.”Iglared at her but obeyed.Everyonewas wound tight, andIdidn’t want them to snap.Sheducked behind the other side, andIgripped my rope tight as she tugged in the opposite direction.
“IfImay, my lady?”Nokitook the rope from me and tied it to a stake he had placed in the ground.Hegave me a pained smile as he stood before rubbing his head.
“Youknow, klaris root would help with that hangover,”Iadvised.
“Yeah,Oryxalready brought me some.Myhead still feels like it’s going to split open.I’mgonna kickLem’sass whenIget the chance.”
“You’relucky you remember last night at all.”
Hegroaned again. “WishIcould forget right now.Isee how it’s easy for humans to get addicted to this stuff.Feltamazing last night.”Hesighed and rubbed his head again. “Notworth it, though.”Hestraightened his shoulders. “Theprincess has given me the honor of running this operation, andIwon’t let her down.”
Iraised an eyebrow at him, examining him from head to toe.Hisdark hair was messy and hung in front of his face, andIcould see the tremors in his fingers as the ambrosia still lingered in his system.Thislittle, hungover human was whoToridecided to put in charge of the investigation of theTorr?
“Howold are you?”Iasked.
Hisface tightened and he straightened a bit more. “Twenty-eight.”
Ilaughed, and his face grew red.Twenty-eight?Forthe fae, that was practically still a youngling.Ididn’t know what we would find in this horrible, cursed place, but there was no way a human would be able to handle this.
“Pallas!Stopharassing my men and come help me.”Theprincess had come back around the tent and looked ornery. “Noki, start gathering your cohort for the first scouting mission.”Nokisnapped into a salute, and she gave him a soft smile. “You’vegot this under control,Lieutenant.”Heran off, andTorigave me another displeased look.
“Astrange leader you have chosen,Princess.”
“Ididn’t see you volunteering to lead the charge.”
Ishivered. “Idon’t thinkIwould last very long in there.”
Sherolled her eyes. “Exactly.Whydo you thinkIputNokiin charge.”
“Buthe’s so young and only a human.Howdo you expect him—?”Shegave me a harsh look, likeIwas missing the very obvious.Itturns out,Iwas. “It’sbecause he’s human.He’sless affected by the curse.”
“Iknew you’d get there eventually,Pallas.”Shewrapped an arm around my shoulder and dragged me away quite aggressively.She’dbeen spending too much time with the soldiers; she’s forgotten how to be a lady.
“Didn’tforget, just never much cared to lock myself in that particular cage.”
HadIsaid that out loud?
“Youstillare,Pallas.Aneffect of the curse, perhaps?Bestbe careful.Youmight admit some things you would rather not.I’llwarn the camp to be on their best behavior.”
Thenext fewdays were spent withNokiand his cohort of humans and a few orcs investigating theTorr.Toriplanned on one scout mission each morning and one in the afternoon, but that had quickly fallen apart.Groupsof humans would enter theTorronly to emerge minutes later, claiming they had been lost for days deep within the caves.Otherswould enter only to emerge days later, claiming they had been inside only a few hours.
Theprincess had quickly become much more cautious, sending only small groups and waiting for them to emerge before sending others.Sofar, everyone had come back, eventually.Thedays ticked by with little progress.
Thecamp became putrid, and it wasn’t just from weeks of waste.Thenon-consensual honesty that had been placed on those of fae blood had started more than a few fights and ended more than one relationship.KaleosandOryxwere currently not on speaking terms it seemed, so the healer had been spending more time withJun, the two of them often foraging together in the surrounding fields.
Thereports that came back from theTorrwere just as festered.Visionsof grand ballrooms and ancient temples.Somesaid they had seen their childhood homes, complete with the family pet, down to the last detail.Othersreported seeing their loved ones torn to shreds, their bodies massacred and feasted upon.
Itsounded like classic illusion magic, calling on the memories and fears of the intruders.Imade the mistake of mentioning this to the princess and she called me to every debriefing of the scouts since.
Isat in an uncomfortable chair in the corner, mostly ignoring them until one day, something impossible happened.
