She followed them silently, dreading the walk back to camp. A nagging fear lingered in the back of her mind that they had covered too much ground to be able to retrace their steps before nightfall. They pressed on further, weaving along the paths deeper into the wilderness. The trees were quickly becoming the most prominent thing along the terrain, a final trail leading them directly into the depths of a forest covering the entire side of the mountain they were scouting.
Feolan and Thade could be heard mumbling comments to one another up ahead, their hands motioning toward different things along the trail. Without the detailed knowledge of their enemy, she felt worthless in assisting to find a means of setting up any sort of ambush. The area felt too obvious for a trap, making it seem the worst possible place to attempt cutting them off. They would be sure to expect something. Catching them off guard here would be impossible. If anything, she feared they would come upon an ambush themselves if the Sanarik were as devious as Feolan described them to be.
Her eyes surveyed the landscape; uneasy by the number of places she could see where an enemy could take cover in preparation of an assault. The trees were denser, creating a thick wall of branches and limbs to hide among. To her dismay, even the ground was covered by layers of grass and wildflowers, concealing the underlying soil which might have alerted them to fresh tracks in the area. Vines hung from the higher branches, seemingly out of place for the region. The change in breeds of foliage reminded Leyna just how close to the Tanispan forests they were.
A queasy feeling started to build in the pit of her stomach, stopping her in her tracks. With an appraising gaze, she swept over the area, searching for anything that might appear out of place.
Up ahead she could see Thade continuing forward, moving deeper into the trees. In front of them stood a large tree of some unknown species, its trunk massive in comparison to the others around it. Several vines draped down from all levels of its branches, drawing her attention to where they brushed the ground. A single vine disappeared under the leaves at the base while the others remained visible at their place of rest.
Following the ground from the location of the submerged vine, she found a similar one connecting to another large tree in a direct line from the first, creating a suspicious design between them. “Captain, wait,” she called out, hoping to catch him before he ventured much closer.
The three men were unaware of her lagging behind, turning around to face her in confusion. Quickly, she maneuvered her way over to them, her eyes still focused on the ground in front of Thade’s feet.
“Leyna, what is it?” Feolan asked, squinting his eyes at her odd behavior.
Ignoring his questioning gaze, she placed her arm across Thade’s chest, urging him to take a step back. He gave no resistance to the pressure, moving out of her way to allow her closer to the tree. Keeping as light on her toes as she could manage in her heavy boots, she slipped over the leaves to stand at the base of the trunk, leaning forward to point at the vine with her index finger. “I have significantly less military experience than anyone else here, and even less experience with the set up of the land in Siscal – however, I think this would be suspicious in any landscape.”
“Good catch,” she heard Teagan mutter in fascination, bending forward to dislodge a rock from the ground at his feet. Brushing away the dirt, he tossed it up in the air casually, testing its weight in his hand. “What kind of trap do you think it is? I have a few ideas, none of which would be pleasant.”
With careful steps Thade made his way over to Leyna’s side, squatting down to get a better look at the vine she was gesturing at. He clucked his tongue in disappointment, his eyes glancing up at Feolan solemnly. “This is not a good sign. If they have found their way into the woods, it will be difficult to tell where they are or how close to the camp they are moving.”
Giving his rock another small toss in the air, Teagan stared contemplatively at the ground in front of them. “Maybe they saw us coming and set this to try and intercept our path.”
“Not likely,” Leyna replied, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of his theory. “If it is a trap, which it seems very possible it is, it is too well constructed to have been a throw together attempt. It is here to intercept something, yes, but not necessarily us.”
“The girl has a point. The question is how long has this been here, and even more disconcerting would be determining if they are still in the vicinity, watching us even now,” Feolan frowned, following the line over to the tree opposite of where Leyna and Thade had positioned themselves. “If they are still nearby, they could be advancing on us as we speak.”
“I say we should spring it. That would either draw them out or chase them away with our presence,” Teagan suggested confidently. He took a step forward, Leyna’s heart nearly bursting from her chest at the sight of his feet coming to a stop just along the ground where the leaves grew to a thicker cover.
Rising fluidly to his feet, Thade made a commanding grunt, the sound startling Leyna as she tried to calm her already quickened pulse. “Such a foolish notion.” Thade shook his head irritably at Teagan. He rolled his eyes heavenward to gaze up at the canopy of branches and leaves overhead. “The Sanarik do not run from their opponents. Their honor requires them to stand and fight, regardless of how hopeless their odds may be; which in this case, I would have to assume the odds to be in their favor.”
Leyna placed her hand firmly over the heavy leather of the armor covering her chest, drawing in several deep breaths to calm her labored breathing. She thought hard over their situation, fearing a confrontation with the enemy so unexpectedly. They had not come prepared to fight, leaving them at a severe disadvantage outside of mere numbers. “My theory is –” she started, pausing at the realization that it may not be appropriate for her to speak. Closing her mouth, she shifted her gaze curiously to Thade, hoping for some signal which would tell her whether to continue or be silent.
Lowering his eyes from the sky, he looked over to her expectantly, tilting his head to one side. She exhaled in relief, flashing a nervous smile before speaking again. “If they were watching us, it seems they would be attacking us already, after seeing that the trap failed. Springing it would only draw attention to us that we don’t want. I say we attempt to disable it, familiarize ourselves with its structure and intent, and then continue on carefully to see if we can find any signs which would allude to us approximately how recently they were here.”
“I was thinking the same,” Thade nodded approvingly, motioning for Leyna to step out away from the tree. Bending forward, he drew a knife from inside his right boot, turning it to inspect the blade in the light. “Feolan, if you can get that side – we have to make sure we cut it evenly. Do not pull on it, or we risk springing it unintentionally.”
Leyna watched them both nervously, afraid of the slightest mistake which could result in disaster for them. She was impressed by their steady hands. Her own trembled uncontrollably, fingers fidgeting with anticipation. They made the cut with a single precise motion, leaving them both standing with an end of the long vine in their hands.
Once the vines were disconnected from the trees, Thade gave a hand signal to Feolan, motioning for him to step back. They moved together simultaneously, pulling the vine taut while lifting it up from the ground. Leyna felt her body jerk in surprise as the leaves in front of her seemed to disappear, the ground opening up to reveal a wide pit dug out between the two trees. The vine had been a support for the branches holding up the leaves which concealed the gaping hole. A clever ruse to disguise such a potentially treacherous trap.
Taking a moment to compose herself, she couldn’t help but think of Teagan’s earlier theory, rolling her eyes in amusement at the shallow line of thought he displayed. “Yes, this certainly was arranged specifically for us,” she muttered sarcastically, unable to prevent a smirk from crossing over her lips. He looked back to her crossly, his brow furrowed.
“How was I supposed to know it was a giant pit? I assume
d it was some sort of live trap designed to wrap around our feet and hang us from the trees,” he frowned. Leyna shrugged her shoulders sympathetically in his direction, already losing interest with him. His thought processes had proven to be on the overconfident and impulsive side, striking her as dangerous to their group.
She kept close to Thade as he made his way around the other side of the massive trunk, discarding the useless vine he now clutched in his hands. On his lead, Feolan did the same, taking cautious steps around the tree across from them to meet on the other side. Unable to fight back her curiosity, Leyna peered over the edge of the pit, amazed by the depth of the hole. It was nearly three times her own height, guaranteed to have left them vulnerable to any attack which could have followed them if they had fallen prey to such trickery.
A gentle pressure on her shoulder pulled her eyes away from the trap, lifting up to see Thade motioning for her to keep moving. “I cannot have you falling in, Leyna; best to keep your distance.”
Nodding her head in acknowledgement, she fell into step behind him, immediately aware of their change in approach. The casual pace from before had been replaced by more wary steps, their eyes on constant watch for any other traps which might be set to catch them off guard.
They had covered more ground than she expected, finding her stomach still unsettled by their current surroundings. The trees remained just as dense as they had been near the pit, every turn granting the perfect position for an enemy to lie in wait without being seen.
The light overhead was fading quickly, the day giving in to the coming night. By now there was no chance of them making it back to camp before dark. To this point they’d found nothing which would lead them to suspect the Sanarik to still be nearby. The pit trap seemed an oddity in the middle of the woods; possibly left behind from a much earlier attack that had already been foiled.
When Thade announced they would be setting up camp for the night, the sick feeling in her stomach worsened. Not so much in fear of the Sanarik, but in disappointment that they would be lying in the open, without cover against the elements or whatever creatures might be lurking amongst the trees. She said nothing to argue the decision. There was nothing to argue. The only option would be continuing to walk in utter blindness once the sun had set, and to do so would be foolish, possibly fatal. Without the light, any further traps would be perfectly concealed. It wasn’t safe. A camp was the most logical idea.
Only a mild comfort came to her at the decision to keep someone on watch throughout the night. First watch would go to Thade and then Feolan would take over until the morning. They were the best fighters of the four, if not the only ones. Although she was trained, Leyna couldn’t hope to defend them all while they slept. She wasn’t skilled enough for such an important task. Teagan had yet to do anything to display any skill with the blade. It was easy to assume he believed himself to be a master. Leyna had strong doubts he could even stand up to her limited abilities if they ever had reason to fight each other.
No campfire could be created for warmth amidst the cold evening air. After all her years in Eykanua, so close to the desert, Leyna wasn’t used to the chill. The evenings had always been less warm, but never to the same degree the mountains held. Their bags contained only the necessary provisions; food, water, and salves in case of unexpected wounds. No blankets or pillows or tents. To the others this was normal. It only took a matter of minutes for Feolan and Teagan to find a comfortable spot in the leaves and soil to drift off into dreaming.
A crackling twig shot like a firework through the silence of the woods. Leyna lay frozen amongst the leaves on the ground, too afraid to move in fear of drawing attention to their presence. Time dragged by slowly until the stillness returned long enough to reassure her that it was nothing. There couldn’t possibly be anything out there other than wild animals, and they were more than capable of handling simple beasts.
The ground was too uncomfortable to find a position which would allow her to even consider sleep. It bumped in awkward places, placing her body at unnatural angles. With a sharp exhale, she sat up, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees to pull her legs into her chest. Memories of living on the streets of Carpaen with Reina flooded her head. The constant fear of waking up and never knowing where she was, or if the few belongings they owned would still be there when they opened their eyes. The worst scum of the city crawled out of the crevices when the sun went down, making the streets a dangerous place to be. It required a sharp ear and fast reflexes to avoid the drunks and the thieves lurking in the shadows. Even more so, it required a keen mind to circumvent the tricks of the scoundrels seeking to take advantage of such young girls. Some men paid heavy loads of coin for young slaves.
Footsteps approached from somewhere nearby, their pace too slow and yet too fast to be those of an enemy. Resting her chin on her knees, she waited for the person to announce their presence, praying silently for it to be any of the men other than Teagan. His personality grated on her nerves. He was older than her by several years, though his mind seemed more on the level of Reina. She felt he required babysitting rather than being of any use to the military. He was a liability; unless they were able to train him in the art of common sense.
“You can sleep, you know. Feolan and I will be taking turns on watch. There is no sense in you wearing yourself out again after just recovering from the last time.”
Thade’s voice came as a relief. He was an intelligent man. She liked that about him. He carried the authority that required respect while yet the sensibility toward others which brought that regard naturally. Her body remained still. She was hesitant to respond, not wanting to risk waking the others with their chatter. “I have never really slept well outside.”
His eyes stared at her through the darkness, though without the light of a fire, she wondered how well he could really see her. Her tiny frame was nothing more than a slight bump in the terrain. She wasn’t even sure how he had noticed her move at all.
“Really? You seem like the type of girl who doesn’t mind the outdoors.”
Leyna’s mouth opened in response to his statement, her words catching in her throat, much to her relief. She wanted to tell him everything. To explain to him about the months she spent homeless in the streets, sleeping in any hole that might conceal her from the despicable sorts roaming at night. Even to tell him of the strange men who had killed her mother and chased her from her home in Mialan, forcing her into such a life. It was a terrible idea, though. Anything that brought attention to her age would be too great a risk. Hearing that she had been an orphan would only spark more questions in a mind as sharp as Thade’s. It was bad enough she feared he already suspected her secret. Why he hadn’t confronted her about it remained a mystery.
“I do like the outdoors. Just not – sleeping there. It… well, my mind wanders and I start thinking I am hearing noises.”
Another crack of a twig sounded again; closer this time than last. Thade was aware of it as well. She could almost hear his muscles tense, his head snapping alertly in the direction of the noise. Fluidly he rose to his feet with his hand securely gripping the hilt of his sword at his side. “Stay here.”
Even as the words were spoken, Leyna shot up to her feet in a single movement. Her own sword was still at her hip. Although she knew it foolish to attempt, she readied herself to draw the blade, prepared for a blind attack. At the academy she’d been one of the best at blind fighting. The difference between the situations was the intentions of her attacker. While Blaise aimed to simply get within range of her, she knew anything in the woods now would be striving for a much more gruesome goal.
“You don’t listen very well,” Thade whispered. She couldn’t tell if it was respect or irritation she heard in his tone. It was too soft to tell.
In a blatant disregard of his order to stay back, she moved up to his side, her body at the ready toward the shadows. “You’re right, I don’t. I promise I’ll work on that. Perhaps tomorrow.”
Something sm
all glinted from behind one of the trees, disappearing into the cover of the surrounding darkness. An eye. There was no mistaking the sight, though the shape had been different from any other eye Leyna had ever seen. It was small and round, sitting close to the ground. The creature couldn’t be more than five feet tall, if even, though it could’ve been kneeling. There was no way of knowing for sure until it revealed itself again, if it chose to.
Whoever it was, their approach had been far stealthier than any animal. It led her to believe if it wished to not be seen, it would easily make it so. Not wanting to draw attention to her awareness of its location, she bumped Thade’s bicep with her shoulder, leaning her head forward across his chest to motion at the area it had come from. The metal of Thade’s blade could be heard scraping the edges of his sheath as he drew it, the sound sending shivers through Leyna’s spine. A simple scout. No fighting, they told her. Safe. Nothing about a war was safe. She should have known better. And yet she had. It was why she’d brought her own sword instead of the one they provided her.
Eyes would do little to help her in the heavy darkness. Most of the moonlight was prevented from breaking through the treetops due to the thick canopy, eliminating majority of the only source of light they could have possibly relied on. Taking Thade’s lead, she drew her own sword from its sheath, gripping it tightly in both hands. Her breathing slowed. Survival relied on her ability to utilize her other senses outside of her vision. Scent and sound. As long as her eyes were open, her mind instinctively tried to strain them in the impossible blackness. Close them. Remember your training. It’s just like being back at the academy, only more necessary that you succeed. Real life offers no second chances for failure.
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 6
