Grimmer (Sequel to Kailin)

Chapter 7: The Four Posts

***

Cenna

***

A grip on my chest; tighter than a human could possibly grip a man in his arms. That was just it, though. This wasn't human.

I choked on the air that was supposed to be in my lungs. The iron taste on my cheeks was hard to ignore. It wasn't on my side; nothing was. While this constricting force tightened on my chest, I felt my ribs snap. The same way one would crack their knuckles. And then, with my chest entirely compressed, I disappeared into nothingness; swallowed by that blackness.

***

My eyes opened to meet the annoyingly bright morning. My heart thumped hard and loud against my chest, though how I felt suffocated in open, empty land like this upset me beyond reasoning of my dream.

With a short growl I sat up, dragging a heavy hand down my face. Same dream, same time, the last three nights. And for the last three nights I had been completely alone. The grimmer that had attacked the camp were few. They acted as if they were only few to raid or something of the sort. They were the tall, slim-figured ones. Not the bulky fighters we usually faced. The most I cared, grimmer were grimmer. And the more I killed now the fewer would have a chance to reach above our camp. That was all I had to care about, wasn't it?

Except, of course, this 'mission' I was currently on. It was unnerving. Unnerving from the beginning when Commander Eritt told me, "Leave the dead, all of them, and report to me at which posts they lie. Our men will be passed with due respect."

On my second day, yesterday, before I had even the chance to question if I was going in the right direction, I found what I was looking for. More or less.

I had expected it from the Southern Post. Our attacks have been coming mainly from the south, and for quite awhile. Since before Ana left. Still, the idea that the post was destroyed and the men killed did nothing to prepare me, or even smooth out what the discovery was. I had stopped my horse many yards away from the actual sight, with bodies strewn on the ground -- among which were only a handful of grimmer. The quickly made camp was flattened on the ground completely, with the supplies scattered and banners torn. A notch of my hope dropped, and shamefully I turned my horse to the east; on to the next.

I turned my head and first felt the crick in my neck. It only worsened my mood. Then I saw my horse resting with his head down because of the tie. He gave me a lazy eye as I stood up to begin saddling him.

Easily judging by the sun I set off to the next posted camp.

I kept my horse in a brisk trot, definitely feeling the soreness in my muscles from having done so the past two days. He kept his pace, though, and I found it easy enough for my thoughts to wander. With the sun in my eyes I kept my head down just to stare at an empty spot on my grip of the reins. This rough trot made me wish I had a horse with the smoother riding gait.... I could dream of a rocking movement instead of a jostling one; a horse like I'd had when I was young.

When the sun was halfway between its rise and its highest position in the sky I saw the paler spot in the distance. Without imagining what I would find I clicked my mount to lope.

Three tents stood still, with the tall ladder leading up to a platform in the middle. Behind one of the tents was a run-in for the horses -- which was very obviously without horses -- and empty barrels for water supply sat without much purpose by the flaps of each. Even from many yards away I saw the dark arrows spiking out of the platform's beams.

I groaned to myself the same way the horse did when he slowed to a stop before the tent. The flaps of it whipped around in the breeze unfastened to flash the emptiness inside.