Chapter Twenty

The dwarf we’d fought with earlier had returned. With backup. Several dwarves circled around us, sharpened battle-axe blades glinting in the firelight.

Grr stalked in front of me; the hair on his neck bristled, and he crouched down, teeth bared.

“They’re the ones that took the game from my traps.” The dwarf pointed a thick, meaty finger at us.

I glowered. “Why would we steal food from you when we’ve got our own?”

“Are you calling him a liar?” Another dwarf pushed forward, braids with metal beads swinging from beneath his helmet. His beard was snarled, with tiny bones threaded through it.

“You’re right, she is,” Pudge said with a goofy grin. “Matter of fact, I think you should leave right now, before she chops your legs off and makes you even shorter.”

The dwarves roared. Now he’d done it. They barreled toward us. I dove aside, grabbing the Sword of Avarik. It hummed as I clenched it in my hand. A deep blue glow radiated from it, as if it were possessed. The sword felt warm against my skin, like it was a part of me.

Metal clanked against metal when I met the first battle-axe. Twisting the blade, I managed to dislodge the dwarf’s weapon, sending it sailing through the air. It struck a log in the fire, causing it to roll across our camp, flames licking at our feet.

Grr sprang into action, grabbing one of the dwarves by the leg. He thrashed him around, charging toward a large rock. The impact had the dwarf holding his bits and pieces, howling like an injured animal.

Captain Bushwell and Perci cornered one against a rock, and he dropped his weapon, while Vane was nowhere to be seen.

“You won’t get away with this.” A dwarf slammed against my leg, and I staggered, dropping my sword.

He took a swing at my midsection, and I leaped out of the way as his axe struck the side of the tree. He cursed, tugging at the handle to remove it. I took the opportunity to swing around, landing a solid kick to his head. He toppled over but couldn’t pull himself to his feet.

Glancing around, I caught sight of Pudge wielding his sword. He’d already taken down one. I smiled.

“Now I’ve got you.”

I turned to find the dwarf who’d started the whole thing coming at me. My fingers closed around the hilt of my dagger, belted to my thigh. I dropped to my knees and dove right as the axe swung at me. The blade skimmed the air, and for a moment, I thought my Mission was over. Then I heard a clank. My eyes widened as I watched Pudge’s sword block the dwarf’s weapon.

Pudge’s face contorted, a vicious gleam sparking in his eyes. He backed the dwarf up against a tree, then drove his blade through his tunic, pinning him to the trunk.

“Next time, don’t come into our camp, accusing us of stealing.” Pudge leaned down in his face. “Get your men and get out.”

I’d never seen this side of Pudge. It was like he’d turned into a warrior right before me. His chest heaved in and out, fists clenched at his sides. His floppy hair clung to his face, shadows smudging his cheekbones.

My blood sang in my ears as I stared at him, the urge to reach out and kiss him tugging at me, but instead, I turned back to our enemies.

The dwarf jerked free, leaving his tunic sleeve attached to the tree. Slowly, the rest of his men staggered away.

“Where’d you get the sword?” Beaurick asked, coming up alongside me.

Startled, I peered down at it. “Um—well, the Hag, I guess. It sort of appeared to me.”

“Hag’s breath,” Perci said. “So it must mean you’re meant to be on this Mission.”

I nodded, trying to ignore Vane’s glare as he mysteriously reappeared. There was no hiding the weapon now; I’d had to use it. Not that it should matter—the council knew I’d been chosen by the Hag, and even if Vane and Barthe were now aware, it changed nothing.

With a smile, I turned to Pudge at last. “You did great tonight. I mean, your sword skills, wow.”

Pudge grinned, then moved to pull his sword from the oak. “I don’t know what got into me. All of a sudden, I saw him coming at you, and I didn’t have time to think. I just started fighting.”

“I think this Mission is exactly what you needed.” I patted his shoulder, then moved to walk away, but Pudge caught my arm, pulling me in for a hug. I leaned into him, my body buzzing like I’d been shocked by a bolt of lightning.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine—thanks to you.”

He stroked my face, tenderness drifting over his features.

“Everyone, let’s try to settle back in for the night,” Captain Bushwell called. “Ivy, get your sword and take first watch.”

I jumped back, heat blazing across my skin. “Yes, sir…”

Ugh. I had to be careful. If I kept this up, then the others would realize the farce about my engagement.

He glanced between Pudge and me. “Pudge, go help Beaurick and Cray get dinner around.”

Pudge peered back at me, dazed, then nodded. “All right.”

“Corporals Baxter and Digger, you take watch to the south. Ivy has the north.”

Before I left, Captain Bushwell caught my arm. “Here, take this, too, just in case.” He handed me his bow. “There seems to be a lot going on in these woods tonight. You might need more than a sword.”

“I’ll keep a close eye out,” I said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave it here for you?”

He chuckled. “I’m sure. Maybe when we stop for supplies next, we’ll see if we can find you your own.”

Slinging the bow over my shoulder, along with a quiver of arrows, I made my way into the woodland.

Darkness encompassed the forest as I found a clump of brush near a tree to hide in. It’d be good camouflage for guard duty. I got comfortable, or at least as comfortable as I could, pulling my cloak tight about my shoulders and adjusting my weapons so they were in reach. I leaned against the tree and scoured the landscape.

The sky opened up, and rain fell in sheets. Damn it. I tugged my hood up over my head, watching the area carefully. Only the constant sound of droplets hitting the leaves and ground could be heard over the wind.

This was going to be a long night.

A couple of hours into the watch, bolts of lightning cascaded against the bleakness, casting unusual silhouettes near a cluster of trees. I peered closer. I swore there’d been movement, and not the normal type a branch or twig would make, even with the wind picking up.

I reached for Captain Bushwell’s bow, focusing on the same spot, until lightning pierced the sky once more, illuminating everything in the forest. I sucked in a staggered breath, spotting a small group of gray-skinned creatures hidden in the foliage. They looked almost human-esque, in that they were standing on two legs, or at least what I could make out of them.

Bow in hand, I notched an arrow and let it go, hitting the first beast at the head of the group. A faint cry sounded, and I ducked, not wanting them to figure out where I hid. They shifted around nervously, trying to locate me.

Shit. My heart hammered in my chest as I stood and released another arrow, striking down one more of the creatures. Somehow I had to alert the others, so I let out a loud whistle and waited a couple of minutes. But there was no response. Damn it, there was no way I could leave my post, or more might get through. Frantic, I let out another whistle, watching as the beasts moved toward the camp.

No! I couldn’t let this happen.

But as I shifted position and attempted to move, I caught an odd glimmer against the forest background, followed by a soft thud of something falling from the tree. No, not something—someone. A tall being, almost like a person, but with skin that seemed to change to match the surroundings, stood peering around the darkness, as if trying to pinpoint my location.

Holy Hag. I didn’t dare breathe for fear it would sense me. Just then, Grr came up next to me, and I pointed out toward the small group of enemy soldiers to my left, then to the ones at my right. Maybe eight or nine beasts in all, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

Soon Captain Bushwell, Pudge, and Perci joined us, too, sneaking in from behind, using the surrounding foliage for cover.

“There are two groups,” I whispered to my captain. I proceeded to point them out.

He nodded, gesturing for us to follow him. We moved quietly forward before splitting up in order to take them by surprise. However, in doing so, I lost track of the camouflaged one. A spiked mace swung just to the side of my head, narrowly missing me.

Shocked, I choked back my fear, realizing how close I’d come to having my skull crushed. You could train for this sort of thing, but in real life you didn’t get a do-over. Luck was the only thing that’d saved me at that moment.

I unsheathed my sword, and a tall gray-skinned creature opened its mouth, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs. It brought a hand down, sending me flying into a tree. I cried out as the impact jarred nearly every nerve ending and bone in my body. With a grunt, I raised my weapon to block the next blow. I jumped to my feet, bracing myself against the tree.

It missed me as I rolled to the side, swiping my own blade up in a counterattack. But the beast launched itself out of the way, dropping its mace in the process. However, not having a weapon didn’t deter it as it dove at me once more, crashing us both into the rain-soaked ground.

Raising my hips, I managed to jar it off me, but not before it knocked my sword from my hands. Shit. I rolled again, reaching for my weapon, but the creature caught my leg, jerking me backward. Then I remembered the dagger Archer had given me and tugged it from where it was secured at my waist. With a shriek, I pierced the monster in the shoulder. It cried out, releasing me for mere seconds, then attacked again. But this time, I clamped my hand on the hilt of my sword and spun just as the thing lunged, my weapon stabbing through its chest.

It let out the most horrifying cry, then fell to the ground, silent.

Trembling, I turned back to the battle at hand to find my friends fighting. Pudge seemed to be handling his own, striking down an enemy with a single swipe of his blade.

As I scanned the woods, I caught sight of a faint flicker. I was sure it must be the camouflaged one again and took off after it, trying to dodge limbs as I pushed through the thicket. A crash sounded next to me, and I saw Grr in pursuit as well. We came to the point where the other guard post had been set up, and I nearly tripped over the massacred body of one of our soldiers, who was missing his skin. My stomach churned. Oh, Hag. No one deserved this.

Grr and I circled around, coming to a halt to search our surroundings. The dog whimpered, sniffing the ground for its scent. “It’s all right, boy. We’ll find it.”

It couldn’t have gotten too far.

The hair at the nape of my neck prickled, standing up on end. My grip tightened on my hilt. Then a twig snapped behind me, and I spun around, drawing my sword down with all my might. A loud screech echoed in the night as the blade pierced its neck. The creature turned bright red, no longer blending in with the environment. With one last strike, it toppled to the ground.

Grr nudged my leg. “It’s dead now.”

I reached down and pet his head while he tried to lick my hand.

My body trembled, and I gave praise to the Hag. I could’ve died. We could’ve died. But what hit me most was the fact that I’d killed things tonight. Their blood still stained my hands and clothes. Gurgles sounded in my stomach, nausea washing over me. Was this what real battle was like?

“Let’s do one last sweep of the area just to be sure we got them all,” Captain Bushwell said, coming up alongside me.

So we retraced our steps, counting bodies as we went.

“We’ve got one dead soldier,” I said. “If I’d gotten here sooner, I might’ve been able to save him.” Tears brimmed in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

“You did well, Ivy. Don’t beat yourself up about this. Trust me, this could’ve been so much worse had you not reacted as quickly as you did. You saved us.”

“What were those things?” I asked, wiping my blade off on the wet grass.

“Marsh men. They haven’t roamed these lands in centuries,” Captain Bushwell said.

“Great. So they decided to show up now, when we come?” Pudge said, wiping the rain from his brow.

“Perhaps something awakened them,” Beaurick said.

My gaze caught Captain Bushwell’s. Or someone was trying to keep us from reaching Dorian.