Codex Mortem

The bold and the shy

"How come that this woman needs such an escort? Two outside, and you three here. She is only a damn lower, so explain this to me: why does a shackled human need five werewolves?"

Zain grimaced and scratched whatever itch he had on his chest.

"She is not a common lower, Prince, but a Dawner."

He search for a moment in his pouch and revealed a moonberry. They were rare small fruits, highly poisonous for us but deadly for humans. It was a known fact that the dawners preferred to take their own life instead of being captured alive. They invented a special wax that wouldn't melt under their skin's warmth, so they usually kept the waxed berry hidden in their hair or beards. If one doesn't look for it, it's very easy to miss.

And this one was coated.

"That still doesn't explain why five strategic spots on our border are now unguarded!" I shouted at their stupidity. "If a single unarmed woman, dawner or not, takes all of you fools to tame, then what happens if you catch a bunch of them, or a bloodsucker?"

I scrunched my nose and rotated my head to chase away the tension in my neck. These idiots need a way to learn, apparently the hard one.

Zain and the others tried to mutter something, but I cut them harshly. "You will go outside and strip to the waist. Then, you will tell Liam to give you five lashes each! After that, you will go back and keep watch on that bloody river, like you are supposed to!"

The men retreated with their eyes to the ground and the shame written all over their faces, while the captive was sitting still on her knees in the same spot.

I got up from the king's chair and walked to her. I pulled the sack from over her face and threw it aside. "Your name, dawner!"

She opened her eyes and measured me head to toe, reciprocating my assessment of her, but didn't reply.

"I asked your name, woman!"

"You asked a name of a dawner, prince," she spoke with calm. "And I can not give you one."

Her voice didn't hold an ounce of fear. Maybe I should put her in charge of those dunder heads, I thought to myself.

"Explain this, if you are not a rebel." I held the moonberry at face level with two fingers.

"Old habit."

"Is that so? Well then, tell me your name, first of all."

"My name is Endrine, Prince. Not that it's of any importance to you. Just be done quick here, I am sure you have many other things to do since your king is not here."

My face dropped at her words. She was dismissing me, not the other way around. I took a moment to gather myself, but her spirit of observation and cleverness impressed me.

"You are a bold one, Endrine. Why are you in such a hurry to meet the dungeons?"

"I am just another lower that will end up on the stone soon, with reason or without. So why don't you do us both a favor and spare me your little interrogatory here? I know you need confession for the witnesses, but I have none yet."

"Are you not afraid of me, woman? Of the fate that awaits you?" Anyone else would cower and beg for mercy, but not her.

"Afraid of what, Prince? Of the fate I tricked a long time ago, or of my end? Do you know why I want to go in the dungeon? Because only there I can pray in peace for the soul of my daughter. Those animals, YOUR men, didn't even let me cover her grave."

My face dropped at her words. We were respectful of the funeral rites, not like the vampires who wouldn't give a fart for that. Every time I took a life, I even left a coin for the soul's passage.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a hot smell. I stared at the empty hearth in the wall. Realising what it was, I shouted for Liam.

"Yes, Lord?" he came fast, holding the whip in one hand.

"Take her to a cell" I ordered and made a run to Raiden's room.

I passed my hand through my hair in frustration. There was nothing I could do. He had the key on his neck, but he was away.

I braced the heavy oak chest in my arms and carried it outside. If it was going to burn, at least it will not burn our wooden hall and chambers. I won't turn back to sleeping under the sky, like in the old times when I was only a rogue.

I stood near, in the grass, guarding it. Liam showed up after a while, and I told him to bring me the fastest lad we had, which I sent to find the king. The chest slowly cooled down, but I waited a bit longer before I took it back.

I spent the night in the king's room, just in case. On that rigid floor, I barely had any sleep and my neck stiffened. Why in hell he refused to have a bed?

It was well past midday and the second training session about to start, when Zain showed up again, with another captive.

"We caught her on our side of the river, Lord." he said, bowing. A trespasser.

He simply doesn't learn, does he? It was the second time he left an opening on our border watch line, instead of signaling to a tracker from the woods to escort a prisoner. I let out a deep growl and dismissed him, thinking that perhaps he would need another assignment.

I threw the covering aside to reveal her face as I inspected her. On the Sun and the Moon, this young woman was beautiful! Even the dirt on her face couldn't hide that, nor the muddied rags she wore. Her alluring scent was intoxicating, and my bulk stirred. She will make a fine present for Raiden.

She had her hair held up in a bun with a white veil falling on her back. That piece of material contrasted with her plain brown dress and her scratched bare feet. I rubbed the edge of it between my fingers while I admired the blue little gems encrusted in the lace.

"Who are you, lass?"

With her eyes cast to the floor, she answered nervous "Dawn".

I took the knife from my boot and grabbed her tied hands. She jerked back, frightened, but slowly released the air she held in her chest when I cut the rope around them.

"Thank you" she said, rubbing the angry red skin on her wrists.

"Don't thank me yet," I said while I threw her up on my shoulder and dashed to the chamber without a bed. "If you please him tonight, he might go soft on your punishment."

She tried to resist, but her tiny fists only tickled my back. I left her on the fur he sleeps on and headed to the door. She cuddled herself in the far corner, her delicate frame trembling.

I looked to her one more time over my shoulder.

"I warn you, girl, he likes it rough."

Closing the door behind me, I went to search for a guard- just in case she might get some ideas.

The warriors waited in line outside. It was time for another training. Rubbing my hands, I gave the command.

"Begin!"

.....