Nomad {Editing}

::Chapter 24:: On the Road Again

Each pair of eyes darted to the flap of the tent and waited, Charlie tensed as he waited.

Part of him was eager for the King to exit, to find out what had happened and learn what stood in their future. The other, much more logical part of him, was terrified of what he would face when they exited.

Not long after, the King appeared through the tent flap. As far as any of them could tell he was uninjured, but the look on his face seemed to imply something else. It was dark expression, and an angry one.

Yet his voice conveyed neither of these things as he addressed the camp with his bellowing voice, confidence all but booming from it. A stark contrast from every other man and woman who gathered in his audience.

"We are to return home tonight," he exclaimed at the top of his lungs.

Not a single man spoke, but they all seemed to have the same reaction. The same thought seemed to run through their head.

Every man who had fallen the day before, has now fallen in vain.

Anger rippled at the back of his throat, and now his growl joined that of the rest of the army.

If the King had noticed the anger which now ricocheted before him, he didn't make such apparent. "And we will make the journey with our new allies."

This made at least half of the army want to rip his throat clean from his body.

One brave voice sounded from the left of Charlie, "And what explanation will you give for this change of mind. He has been our enemy for years, he has killed thousands of us." The voice snarled taking a step forward from the ranks.

Where he fell dead with a quick gesture from the witch.

Cries of astonishment, and a few of pain at the fall of their companion. But after that, no one spoke any further.

"You will get answers," the King's words were firm. "But if you dare treat me like he, I will let you all suffer the same fate."

The threat astonished Charlie, it wasn't a new thing for the King to threaten a man. But the entire army was something entirely different. It made Charlie wonder what on earth he and Anthony had spoken about.

What scared him so much that he will risk turning the loyalties of his army against him?

Briar seemed to be contemplating killing the both of them, whatever the consequences would end up being. Charlie took a grip up on her wrist, and held her as firmly as he could without inadvertently hurting her.

"Don't do anything stupid," he whispered. Using her own words against her.

She didn't seem to be happy about it, but she relaxed a little beneath her grip. Looking back at him through narrowed eyes, but she her anger wasn't directed at him. There was enough time for that to happen.

When no one further spoke up or stepped forward, the King nodded. As though thankful to them, in spite of threatening them all with death mere moments before hand. Charlie slipped his hand from her wrist until he was instead holding her hand.

His grip was gentle but firm, they both seemed to be using the other as an anchor.

"Anthony," the King explained gesturing to the witch beside him. As though at this point there could have been any question as to whom he was talking about. "Has made me aware of a threat, currently much more dangerous then the one we came here to face."

The army seemed to stiffen as one at this knowledge, as it meant two things.

One, they weren't going home because peace had been achieved and they could live the rest of their lives without a war to fight in. That would have been a long shot in any version of reality, Charlie was not meant to live in a world of peace. It was against his every nature, whether he wanted it or not.