The Halo Of Vakh (BOOK 1)

WHEN THE WOLVES HUNT

"Make haste, you lead-swingers," Ta Therin's voice boomed over the group of sixty men, packed into one of his stables, preparing their horses for the hunt that was to take place in the woods.

Sapphire tied rags around Aurora's hooves as they had been ordered. Therin wanted to make sure they were not discovered in the forest, thus, he had asked everyone to tie rags and clothes across the horses' hooves. Standing up, she hung Irontooth on her belt. She traced a mark on the breastplate of her armour.

Their only armour consisted of poleyns, helms and breastplates. It was enough to save them from grievous injuries as her father had said once. She narrowed her eyes at the sky visible from the open doors of the stables. The sky remained blackened by the heavy clouds. An odd feeling crept into her stomach and she gulped. It curled hot and foreboding.

The menace of war.

They were to travel in four groups of fifteen men. Ta Therin had made her take charge of one of the battalions. Her heart clenched painfully. She was not ready to lead men into battle. She was a huntress, not a warrior. The village had only a few people who were capable of brawling after the army's attack that morning and thus Therin had enrolled her into the small army he had formed. Moreover, no one in the village knew the mountains and the forest better than her. She had gone deeper into the cluster of sloping trees than anyone else. She had always been too curious, too rebellious for her own good.

She traced the phoenix on the hilt of her sword, staring at Mav Starla as she handed out shields to the groups. A horse neighed loudly in one corner. There was the matter of safeguarding the village. As her father had said to her just before she had departed, they could not leave the village unguarded. The soldiers could attack at any instant.

"Alright now! Get out all of you," Therin yelled, leading half the men out of the shed. Sapphire adjusted the saddle one last time and jumped onto it. Taking the reins, she patted Aurora on the neck once and the mare started her slow trot. Outside, Therin was organising the villagers into small groups.

Sapphire moved to the head of one of the groups at his signal as did Delster, Mav Starla and Ta Gregthir. The sky thundered like an enraged lion. The sky was divided in two by lightning.

"Halt! Listen up!" Therin roared over the sounds of nature's anger, pulling them to a stop. "We go up to Dar's house. That's where we'll get the most cover so that we can approach the Bathran without any detection. The rest you already know. Put one toe out of line and I'll beat that poltroon to a pulp myself."

The horses trotted forward, towards the peaks that rose towards the sky, deathly white against the extended black sheet that covered the sky. A blaze of red came. Sapphire felt Aurora's chest ripple with fear. Letting go of one rein, she allowed one hand to sink into her thick warm mane. The mare calmed a bit.

They passed through the small opening that had been constructed in the stone wall. She saw the Nightwalkers lining its base and ramparts. She smiled a bit. Kapok was safe.

The trees grew thicker as they neared the base of the Bathran, few branches dangling down to the ground, prickling their faces. She pulled out the dagger hidden in her boots and slashed at a few vines in front of her and they fell to the floor of the forest, like lifeless limbs.

At the head of his battalion, Ta Therin stopped beside a large oak that rose high above the ground, its grey brown trunk disappearing between the black clouds, spreading out its fingers covered in a glove of moss green. Ta Therin reached down and picked up a tool made of iron. He raised it up to his nose and she noticed it was a spile. The old man's nose quivered as he sniffed.

"Maple sap," he said lightly. "Someone probably lost it on their way to the camp."

Sapphire smirked. "There's only one place where the maple trees grow."