I needed to find Asher. We couldn't stay here. The soldiers would only have to follow our tracks and hit us again. My mind raced in a hundred directions and I found it hard to breathe.
"Blade!"
I whipped around, making my horse shy, and nearly fell off. Asher moved through the mob toward me. "Are you alright?"
I looked down at myself curiously. "I don't even know." I touched my shirt. "I took an arrow in the arm."
He gestured slightly. "Looks like you caught something in the face too."
I squinted and touched my forehead. It felt sticky. "I must have."
Jace rode up beside us. "What now? We can't stay here. We're sitting ducks."
"We'll keep moving. Find a spot that's at least defensible if they do find us."
"What about all the men and gear we left back at camp?" I questioned.
Asher frowned. "They'll take or destroy all the stuff." He sighed. "They won't leave any survivors. There's nothing to go back to."
We didn't light fires for cooking. Someone did get close up under the shielding of some rocks and lit a small one, but just long enough to heat a knife to seal up his friend's wound. I watched the tiny winking flames a moment then explored my arm. It was still bleeding, though not profusely, and had soaked up my entire sleeve. I knew I should get it closed up before my whole life leaked out the hole, and non one was likely to have got a needle and thread in the chaos. I walked over to the fire reluctantly and knelt down next to the man. "Could you do that for me too?"
He glanced up and nodded. "Yeah. Bennett hasn't showed yet, so I'll do you first."
I bit m lip and nodded a bit, wishing Bennett would show up so I could see how he reacted first. But no one else was around. "Okay." I said, working on the buttons to my shirt. The fabric was stuck to my skin where it bled, and stung when I pulled it free, widening the stream of blood that came out. The firelight danced on my skin in odd patterns and I shivered in the cool air. He reached to the fire and picked up the knife, the blade shining. He moved over and glanced at me. "Don't hit me."
"I won't." I said tightly. I looked away and braced myself, gripping the fabric of my pants. I heard a hiss sound and then the pain came through like my blood had caught fire and was spreading through to all of my veins. I bit down and tried not to make a sound but the air hissed out between my teeth, followed by a growl that sounded animal to my ears. My arm jerked involuntarily and my knuckles ached from holding on. The pain turned cold, almost numb, and when I chanced to look I saw he'd removed the knife. "Is that all?"
Noise made me freeze and I tipped my head to listen. It was a person...crying? I moved toward the sound slowly. The voice was coming from a little tangle of brush and two or three trees. I tried not to make a sound and drew closer, staying in the shadow of a tree trunk. I squinted into the heavy darkness at the form that doubled over and vomited. I made a face and then the man straightened. My eyes widened in surprise when I realized it was Jace. He was crying. I stepped out. "Jace?" He flinched and then his shoulders sagged and he looked away. I walked over. "What's wrong?" He tried to wipe at his face, but gasps were still shaking him. "Leave me alone." I paused midstride. He sounded like a child again. "Jace." I said quietly and moved the rest of the way to him. "What's wrong?" He took a shaky breath and looked away. I frowned. "Jace, are you hurt?" I looked him up and down for some sign of blood or other injury but he looked perfectly healthy.
He shook his head slightly. "No. No ain't hurt."
"Then what's wrong?" The kid had me worried. I hadn't seen him break down like this since our father died.
His eyes flicked up to mine. "I killed that girl."
I drew my lips into a thin line, not sure how to respond.
"I killed her. She was running off with one of those soldiers, and I killed her." He looked down. "I know she was with them. She stabbed one of our men."
I nodded a bit. "Yeah." I knew she was with them. I knew she deserved it. I also knew why it bothered him. I reached over unceremoniously and pulled him into a rough hug. "It's hard. But you didn't do anything wrong."
He exhaled. "I just...men, it's easier somehow. You're just fighting and not thinking about it. They all blur into one. But...she was different. She stood out. I knew when I did it."
He pulled away slightly and swiped at his face and I could see he was building back up his composure. "I feel like all this is stealing who I am, and I don't want it to."
I nodded. "We're going to be changed after this, not a doubt about it. But it doesn't have to be for the bad." I tried to smile. "We're too strong for that."
"It makes me sick." I said softly. "Leaving everyone back there for them."
Asher nodded slowly. "I know. Me too." He took a deep breath. "But it will be worth it."
I glanced at him sidelong.
"I believe that." He said. "We've got an edge on them. We've had to leave our friends, we've dug graves, and we're still pushing back. We haven't laid down. We just keep moving forward and every step makes us more dangerous." He dipped his head. "We're going to win."
When we got to the town the streets were empty and the whole place was eerily quiet. I looked around. "Think they saw us coming and thought we were soldiers?"
Asher nodded a bit. "Could be." He motioned the scouts over to him. "There were people here when you came, right?"
They looked irritated. "Of course. People all over the place."
Asher nodded bit and looked around. "Well, we need to let them know we mean no harm."
Jace made an impatient noise in his throat and rode his horse forward into the street. "This is the resistance. We're not with the army and don't intend any hurt to anyone. we're only asking for some light provisions and then we'll be on our way."
I crossed my arms and looked to see if his speech would have any affect. Silence filled the town for several minute until I was getting embarrassed for Jace. Then someone stepped out.
There you have it. Hope you liked them. I realize most of them were quite a bit longer than what I typically post for snippets, but seven pages wasn't much to work with in the way of being picky choosy, and none of my boys were in very good moods at all during those pages, so they spoke very little, and when they did, it was some deep stuff that couldn't be just chopped in half. Hopefully they cheer up soon though...*checks list of what has to happen in the plot* ....um....Maybe not so very soon.
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