Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)
Chapter 22: Sellswords

The forests in the northwest of Bastia were dense and evergreen. Full moon illuminated the trees and the pathway we walked on. Danilo and Torvald were up front, as always. I kept next to Nick for the entire ride because I felt weird talking to Rixen after that unfortunate incident with the truth liquor.

Nickeltinker got kicked off his horse and now had to ride on the warthog. Frank wiggled his tail and the green-skinned boy crossed his hands on his chest, frowning at the mage.

“What?” Ace turned his head around, dangling his bare feet. His wide green eyes took us in.

“I’m still pissed off.” Nick murmured. “You could have made Irina ride the warthog.”

“Uh, no.” I leaned against my donkey’s mane. “Fluffy and I cannot be separated.”

The donkey brayed happily.

“There’s something else that doesn’t want to be separated from you.” Ace mumbled and nodded towards the bushes.

Irrational fear gripped me as my head snapped at the bushes, “What? Where? Who?”

“A spider.” Ace chuckled. “You named a spider from the Woods of Loria. And now she thinks you’re her master, but she’s too afraid to show herself.”

Disgust trailed down my spine, “Amelia?” I whispered to the bushes. Nothing moved.

“She’ll come out on her own.” Ace said. “When she feels accepted.”

I shuddered. “I doubt that is ever going to happen.”

Rixen turned around slightly and glanced at me. I knew he wanted to say something, but I couldn’t let myself get too comfortable around him. The truth liquor did enough damage. It made me confide in him.

What would my brother say if he learned that I confided in the Bastard of Bastia? A man without a throne, or status, or a secure future.

I looked away, ignoring his stare.

“We should stop soon.” Danilo pulled the reins on his horse.

“What?” Nick grunted. “But we’re near Balr. I say we keep moving and then rest properly once we reach the town.”

“Goddess, am I finally going to get a normal bed and a bath?” I asked. “I feel dirty.”

“That has nothing to do with the bath.” Rixen murmured.

I frowned at his remark, not really in the mood for his teasing, “Be quiet, bastard.”

“I cannot believe I’m about to agree with the brain-dead moron.” Ace sighed, causing Danilo to immediately grab a hold of his sword. “But we have to stop. There’s too many things that need to be discussed before Balr.”

“Who put you in charge?” Rixen grunted.

“Mother Nature.” Ace said. “You amateurs have been doing everything wrong. You’re loud, clumsy and a goddamn squirrel could track you.”

“What do you suggest, oh, great wizard?” I mocked.

“Well, since you asked,” the mage pulled the reins and his horse halted in place, “we have to send out a couple of letters. Anybody got a quill and a scroll?”

Our little group stopped in the middle of the road.

“I do.” I said.

“Shocking, you’re actually carrying something useful in that suitcase of yours.” Rixen smirked.

“Hey, one of my tiaras convinced the mage to join us!”

“You owe me that crown.” Ace remembered. “I want the one with the most silver.”

“You can have the one Nickeltinker stole.” I said.

Nick sighed, “I’m sorry. I have a problem.”

“What do you mean we have to send out letters?” Danilo rode over to us.

With the horses, we completely blocked the road. I got off the donkey, happy to stretch my legs a bit.

Ace spread out his hand towards me, demanding a quill and a scroll, “The entire world knows we’re going to Orathia. The fact you haven’t run into someone trying to kill you is a fucking miracle. We have to control the narrative, which means fooling the entire world in order to escape our enemies.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“First of all, princess, you’re going to send your brother a letter.” Ace said. “And you’re going to tell him we’ve decided to cross the Northern Ocean by ship.”

“Hold on a second.” Rixen came closer. “How the hell do you know that?”

“I know everything, boy.” Ace sneered. “I know about the ruse you were going to pull off in Balr. It’s a good, but flawed plan.”

Danilo cut in, “Why should we even trust you? For all we know, you’re the one behind the cults rising.”

Ace’s wild green eyes shimmered, “Believe me, knight, if I wanted the world to end, you’d be dead before you managed to grab that sword you use to compensate for your tiny, flaccid cock.”

No one said a word. Danilo’s face twisted to an angry grimace and his knuckles whitened.

But then, his face relaxed, “How do you know my cock size, old man? Have you been spying on me?”

Scattered laughs fell off our lips.

“Danilo tried to make a joke.” I giggled.

“At least he’s not offended.” Rixen chuckled.

“Keep it up and you’ll be almost tolerable.” Nickeltinker added and leaned against the warthog, who happily licked his face.

“Ugh.” Torvald walked to the beast. “Dog.”

“That’s a warthog, idiot.” Ace murmured angrily.

“Dog.” Torvald grinned and patted the warthog. “Fetch?”

Frank the warthog wagged his tail and jumped up and down, accidentally pushing Nickeltinker off. The giant and the beast ran off together, disappearing in the dense forest.

“What if they get lost?” I murmured.

Ace sighed, “I’m pretty sure they both have a heightened sense of smell. Let’s write those letters.”

I took the quills and scrolls out of my suitcase. There weren’t enough for all of us to write at the same time. Rixen, Nick and I went first. I leaned against the donkey and used one of the books as a pad.

I began my letter, wondering what was Rodrig going to say once he received it.

“Make sure to include some personal details, it has to sound convincing.” Ace muttered, walking around, his bare feet crunching the branches on the pathway. “And hurry, these forests have eyes and ears.”

I eyed Rixen and lowered my voice, “Are we sure we didn’t get one of the crazy mages?”

“You sure got yourself a big mouth, considering you don’t even know the basics of defence.” Ace said, not even bothering to look at me.

He was right, though.

Before I could continue my letter, Rixen’s shoulder brushed against mine. On purpose.

You’re mad at me.

Instead of answering, I stepped away, breaking the direct line between our minds. Rixen caught this and simply walked away before I could see his face.

I wrote the letter to my brother.

Dear Rodrig,

This journey was the worst decision I’ve ever made. There’s bugs and mud and huge spiders following me around. I hate it. I’ve been told we’re going to cross the Northern Ocean by ship. Ships are awful. They remind me of our parents and they’re dirty.

Sir Danilo of Danth wants to marry me. That’s-

“Ugh.” Torvald burst through the trees with Frank on his heel. “Uh, trouble.”

“What?” Rixen stopped writing. “Who?”

Torvald’s wide eyes glanced around, as if searching for the source of threat, “Men.”

“We’re not alone.” Ace half squatted and spread out his hands, for some reason. “Quick, replace cover!”

“No.” Danilo grabbed his sword. “Stay here and stay quiet.”

“We’re in the middle of a road.” Rixen hissed.

Nickeltinker climbed up the nearest tree in a matter of moments, “I don’t see anything.”

Frank the warthog sniffed the ground and the air, his tail standing up in alert.

“We’re still in Bastian territory. Whoever is here cannot hurt us.” Danilo exclaimed.

Rixen rolled his eyes, “You’re the only one naive enough to think your rules apply to everyone.”

“What do you suggest?” Danilo asked, his nostrils flaring.

“Hide.” Ace answered. “Or run.”

“Bastians will recognise my authority.” Danilo pushed.

“Ugh.” Torvald grunted and sniffed the air. “No Bastians.”

A gush of cold air flew through our little group, chilling me to the bones. Once we shut up, we could hear it. Almost soundless footsteps approached.

Rixen’s eyes darkened as he looked at Torvald, “Who?”

“Uh, G’Dertha.” Torvald said, his lips spreading into an angry sneer.

“Mercenaries from G’Dertha.” Ace whispered. “Not the people you want to come across.”

Footsteps became louder. Horses became agitated, their nostrils flared and they braced their necks upwards. Even Fluffy seemed on edge.

I moved closer to Rixen, suddenly excruciatingly aware of how loud my very breathing was.

“Ugh,” Torvald grunted, his black, empty eyes focused on Rixen, “Kill?”

No one moved.

Rixen nodded, “Kill.”

To my surprise, Torvald lifted his pitch-black axe with ease and without a sound. Then, just as soundlessly, he placed it over the palm of his hand and drew his own blood.

My heart hammered in my chest as the brute grabbed the axe with his bleeding hand, his black eyes sparkling with red fury. The veins in his arms and legs and neck bulged, turning dark blue.

Before I could ask, a single arrow flew through our crowd with mesmerising speed, hitting the tree Nickeltinker flung from.

The men drew their weapons.

“Hide.” Rixen whispered to me.

But I couldn’t replace a place to hide. Panic surged through me as Torvald, Danilo and Rixen gathered in the circle. Frank the warthog quietly walked around, almost sentient alertness glistening in his eyes. Nickeltinker remained in the tree, ready to throw daggers. Ace was still in a half-squat, glancing around madly.

Horses tried to escape, their gentle eyes wide with confusion. There was nowhere to go. Because we were surrounded.

Humming sound spread through the trees. Deep voices sang around us, sending a bolt of unease down my spine.

Something about them was different, off. Air became thick with some sort of energy. It was almost tangible, almost familiar-

“Magic.” I whispered back. “It’s magic.”

But no one could hear me anymore.

Arrows flew through the trees. Dozens of them at once.

One hit Danilo in his upper arm. He let out a roar. Blood oozed down his flesh. Another pierced a horse. A loud neigh shushed all other sounds. Torvald blocked a couple of arrows with his axe. In a failed attempt to run away, horses began to hit the ground with their hooves, lifting off dust.

Panic spread like plague.

I grabbed a hold of Fluffy and hoped none of the arrows would hit me. Every fibre of my being felt exposed, like somebody was watching me. Nothing felt safe. I looked around, trying to replace another tree hollow where I could hide.

Instead, I found a large spider staring at me from the bushes, inviting me with her worried eyes.

Torvald roar and swung with his axe towards the trees. A murderous glow glinted in his eyes, deep and furious and unyielding. But the threat was still invisible.

And underneath the roars and screams, that quiet humming still reverberated around us.

“Do something!” I shouted at Ace, who was still half-squatting, waiting for the threat to come.

Before he could answer, a rough voice cut in, “Too late.”

My head snapped towards the dark trees.

A hooded figure stood in the light; bulky and tall and dark. His robes were pitch-black and I couldn’t see his skin.

I could see nothing except for the necklace decorating his chest, a dozen of fresh, human eyes dangling off the thick chain. Bulging, bloodshot and dead. Disgust filled me.

One by one, men shed the cover of trees, appearing in front of us. Their weapons glinted under the light of the full moon, swords, axes, spears. They were dressed in leather armour, each one more menacing than the other.

Their eyes were empty. No emotion. No anger. No hatred. Mercenaries, simply doing their job. Somehow, this disassociation made them even more frightening.

There were too many of them. Too many.

Torvald let out a crazed shout and rushed towards them, seemingly without purpose or plan. His black axe cut through the air, the swooshing sound like a dark lullaby. But there were too many of them.

Danilo swung his sword, his right hand incapacitated due to the arrow sticking out of his flesh. Nickeltinker threw his daggers and arrows from the tree with impressive precision. Rixen danced through them, disappearing and appearing right out of the shadows. But there were too many of them.

The wild men fought like nothing I’ve ever seen. They were quick, strong and thorough.

I hid behind the donkey, feeling lost and alone. Fluffy shuddered with fear, but I whispered soothing words to the animal, failing to comfort any of us.

Danilo was on the ground, a man standing above him with a sword aimed at his throat, when Torvald grabbed the man from behind. His axe went through the man’s body all the way to the front, out through his stomach.

Guts spilled all over Danilo.

Men fell down before they could let out a scream.

“Do something!” I shouted at Ace, feeling helpless and useless and abandoned.

Ace dropped on all fours and for a moment, for the tiniest moment, no one moved.

He lifted his grey head towards the moon.

And he howled. The sound was off-tune and piercing. Sort of ridiculous.

Enough to confuse our enemies. Everyone stopped and stared at him, waiting, wondering.

Without thinking, I crawled away to the nearest bush, while no one was paying attention to me. The spider came closer to me and this time, she wasn’t the source of my fear. I didn’t look up, I didn’t dare. Stupidly, I thought they couldn’t see me if I couldn’t see them. I knew it was irrational, but I couldn’t help myself. There was nothing I could do. My heart hammered in my chest as I hid behind the leaves, praying to any god that might be listening. Please, do not replace me.

Broken laughter pierced the silence. They laughed at the mage, ridiculed him. Desperation seized my mind. Why wouldn’t he do something? He had magic, why wouldn’t he use it?

Through the cover of leaves, I managed to glance up.

Mercenaries grabbed their weapons again, ready to fight some more.

Before they could act, distant howling came as an answer from the depths of the forest.