Midnight Moon (The Bleeding Crown Book 1)

Chapter 20 - Ashes

The fire took some time to catch on the hastily assembled pyres. They eventually lit the pile of scrounged dry wood, their attackers' bodies stacked on top.

As the flames took hold, Tia sifted through the thugs' belongings. She discarded most into the fire, but added some items to their own supplies. Veanna was fairly sure she saw Neyerith slip a coin purse into his breeches. She supposed it was pragmatic not to waste resources in the flames, but his actions seemed slyer than Tia's methodical approach.

Still, Veanna hesitated when Tia passed over the sword that belonged to the opponent she had felled.

The Outlander looked up. "You are more practised with a sword. Would you not prefer this to the dagger?"

"I suppose so," Veanna murmured, accepting the weapon and affixing the scabbard to her belt, despite her reluctance to hold the sword that had been turned against them until they killed its wielder.

Tia rested a hand on her shoulder until Veanna met her eyes. "It was your life or theirs. Do not regret fighting for your survival; you are the only person you can always count on to do so."

Veanna nodded slowly, though she couldn't bring herself to fully agree. Exchanging others' life for hers was not a trade she made easily.

Veanna stared into the flames as they danced in the wind, rubbing her hands together. Her bandages snagged on each other, and a glance reminded her how bloody they were - it had been easy to distract herself with the pyre, but now everything was still and quiet. She unwound the bindings and threw them into the fire, watching them curl and crumble. Her hands were mostly healed, though the marks of that night would remain with her for a long time, even if the scars one day faded.

Veanna clenched her fingers. She had fought before, drawn blood and seen death firsthand. She didn't think she had killed anyone, though it was difficult to tell who fell and why in the midst of battle. Yet this small scuffle shocked her to the core. The intimacy had never hit home before, as she was shielded by those around her and kept from the worst of the fight. It felt different to see someone killed deliberately beside her, especially after being humiliatingly helpless in the conflict.

"They seem to be only bandits." Tia's voice broke the silence. "They appear to have followed us from Oakbridge."

Veanna dragged her eyes from the pyre. "That's good, isn't it?" At least she wasn't being dragged back to that dark prison again.

Tia sighed, exhaustion drawing at her expression. "We already had enough to worry about, and now with this bounty..." Her gaze flickered to Neyerith. "It is not only the Order after you."

"The Order of Kysuk?" he broke in, eyebrows raised. "That's the big bad you're running from?"

Veanna looked back to Tia before nodding. "They want my blood," she said quietly.

He bumped his shoulder against hers. "Don't worry, Princess; I'm going to make sure your blood stays in your body."

She smiled, an undeniable wave of relief rushing through her. "This is more than you were hired for."

"Ah well." He shrugged. "I'm banking on being richly rewarded when I deliver you safely home. Perhaps a statue of me in the centre of Beyall covered in emeralds..."

Veanna laughed, some of the tension slipping from her body. It felt good to smile, her cheeks stiff from the cold. Even Tia relaxed a little, throwing the last of the bandits' belongings onto the pyre.

"Maybe we should go to the nearest army outpost?" Veanna suggested. "It might not be the safest for you two at first, but they are more likely to believe I'm the Princess now my disappearance has been announced. It must be safer than wandering around bandits, surely?"