The silence hung heavily across the whole castle. Even when whispers and sobs were there, this silence seemed to spread for longer. The King could feel it when his eyes set on the moon.
It was that time of the night. It was at it's fullest. His anger peaked high when he realized that those three soldiers were still roaming outside, freely. He had sent his Warriors out of the grand hall to catch them but still no sign was given that the beast was seen, found or caught.
"What are their names?" He asked again for the forth time. His own son looked strangely at him.
"Nathaniel, Samuel and Jeffrey."
The King's eyes widened as he immediately thought of the Lord Commandant who was gone with the Knights. "His son?"
The Prince nodded. "We don't know if he is out of this hall, innocently or intentionally. But it is clear that he is one of those ten soldiers."
The King stared at his son questioningly. The Prince nodded in confirmation while turning back to look around the crowd, full of grim and fearful faces.
One of them was of Samara Hampton who was clinging to Violet. "They are going to hurt three of them. How in this world, he could be so careless? When Ida is here, why would he go out?" She sobbed while staring at her mother who was holding her forehead in disbelief.
"I don't know. One moment, he was here drinking, the next he was gone."
Violet sighed. "You don't have to worry about it. We all know that it cannot be him."
Samara wiped her eyes and was only looking around tiredly when he caught Rodwin's eyes. He nodded at her from the other table, Logan was there too along with Davis. They all had worry in their eyes. She watched Logan giving Violet a look that made her hold her hand.
"You come too," she whispered to Violet while giving her mother a polite nod. Walking towards them, she felt her heart filling with warmth when Rodwin smiled at her while holding her waist from the side.
Davis' eyes didn't waver off the soft hands on Rodwin's elbow and the smile smile that was for the girl, he himself loved so much. His jaws clenched in a forbidden misery.
"What is our King going to do?" asked Violet while Logan nodded. He glanced at Davis who sighed.
"The King is now furious over Nathaniel, Samuel and Jeffrey." He explained.
"Jeffrey?" Samara covered her mouth. "He is Samuel's dearest mate. They must be together then."
Violet raised her eyebrows. "So does that mean that the beast is any of them?"
Davis nodded. "Absolutely."
Samara gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she shook her head. "It cannot be my brother. He is innocent. He is not healing and the hell he worships moon or any of that bull's shit."
Rodwin tightened his hold around her waist when Davis looked at her in amazement. "But he might be killing people and that is enough sign of being a beast."
Samara pleaded him with eyes which made something fluttering in his chest. Davis gulped. "But it is not confirmed. It is any of them because they couldn't control turning into the beast. With all the screams we all are hearing, the beast is surely out there," he told all of them.
Samara could remember the seer's words. She shook her head. "No, it's the one who was high on his emotions tonight. Nathaniel was very angry to me. Without any reason. While my brother, he was absolutely happy with Ida and his new post."
"New post?" Logan argued. "I had heard it from Jeffrey that he was not fine with his new post which is why Samuel was drinking so much. To support him, Jeffrey had followed him out of the hall."
Samara's lip trembled as she lowered her eyes. The fear for King's anger on her brother seemed to curl all her skin. Her blood had turned cold.
"Samara?"
It was Rodwin and her last resort. She looked up at him with wet eyes. "He is not the beast, Rodwin. My brother is innocent. Even if he is, he is your friend. Even if it is any of them, they are your friends. They never would have wished for the wolves' bite. You must help your friends or they would kill others or get killed."
Rodwin's jaw ticked as his mind conflicted. He stared in her eyes and held her face.
"He shouldn't be hurt, Rodwin. He risked his life for the army. He took so many arrows for no mean motive. He didn't heal. He is still wounded. Even if he is, you must help my brother." She whimpered in his arms while letting out a silent sob.
Rodwin bit his tongue, his heart drowning at the sight of her crying again. He twitched his lips and nodded. "I won't let him get hurt, Samara. But the King is trying to help our village. He is catching the killer of so many innocent people."
Samara's eyes flashed hurt at his words. She left his elbow and stepped back. Rodwin's lips parted at seeing her anger. She looked away and removed his arms from her waist. Turning around, she stomped away from the table.
Violet held Logan's hand. "She is hell worried for her brother. And I support her. Samuel can never hurt anyone."
Logan cut her off immediately. "It's the wolf that kills. He doesn't know if at night, he gets turned and follows his blood thirst. We will have to get this beast caught soon."
Violet grunted. "No. It's Nathaniel. He hurt Samara tonight. A gentleman like him manhandled her. Pushed her. If he is not the frustrated one from blood thirst, who else is."
Rodwin curled his lip in anger. "He pushed her?"
Violet was about to nod when Davis interrupted. "We need to decide soon. The Warriors have gone for longer. They would be able to catch any of them. Even if it is the innocent one, Jeffery they catch first, the King will have him half-dead through the investigations."
Rodwin shook his head. "I am going to help Samuel. I have to do it."
Logan twitched his lips in frustration while Violet added, "See, any of them was bitten. So none of them is at fault because they are doing it for his wolf's nature. Now, let us not hate or accuse any of them. Just like Samara said, you must help them."
Logan opened his mouth to interrupt when Violet glared at him. He shut his mouth and watched as she flipped her hair and walked away.
"Women," he muttered while Rodwin wiped his face.
Davis rolled his eyes. "What do we do now? The Prince seems to expect the return of his warriors soon."
Logan shrugged his shoulders. "I cannot make a picture of how those human warriors can just trap him so easily," he told them.
Rodwin bit his lip while glancing back at Samara who was angrily talking to Violet with tears in her eyes. His heart shrunk in a bit. This night was just their beginning. He couldn't let it end so soon. Hell, he couldn't let it end ever.
He breathed heavily when Logan finally asked, "What are we doing now?"
Davis stared at Rodwin who palmed the table and nodded.
"We are helping the boys."
_______
The soldiers were standing quietly while waiting for the Prince's orders. But the four of Nathaniel's closest friends were standing together, while discussing how they never realized that Nathaniel could be the one.
"We six had ran faster. As the Prince had narrated, the first wolf was killed by his sword only. He couldn't follow. The two wolves followed but we all six had safely reached the tents. I don't understand how he could attack Nathaniel then?"
All the three nodded at Preston when someone replied, "Right. That is what we are thinking."
Preston narrowed his eyes at Logan. "Shut your monkey mouth, Maguire. No one wants to hear your stupid-"
"Nathaniel is out. I am sure, you must be wanting to help your friend. Because you know that he is not the one," told Davis while they all went quiet.
Rodwin too joined them by explaining, "In the same, we think that Samuel and Jeffrey cannot be the wolf too."
Earl chuckled humorlessly, "Says the one who helped the wolves." He pointed at Rodwin, "What if I say you can be the one?"
Davis sighed while Rodwin chuckled. His laughter silenced when he grabbed Earl's collar. "Then, you wouldn't have been able to say anything at all. I would have tore your throat by then."
Earl curled his lip when Preston decided to intervene. "It's true. You and Samuel were with the wolves for longer time. That means, if you are here then, it is Samuel."
Logan widened his eyes as this realization hit his mind. But Rodwin denied. "Shut up. We were in the woods with a dead one. Also, we never offended the wolves. If you want me to prove it, ask the Prince. He was watching everything. It was you who disturbed the wolves and ran away like p.ssies when they showed up."
Davis cleared his throat when another friend decided to speak. "What about Jeffrey?"
Logan shook his head. "We don't know, Lori. He must have followed Samuel out of the hall. Or he might be the one because he was in the war too. Right?"
Everyone kept silent until Preston thoughtfully declared, "We all have our doubts. But we all want to save our friends."
Rodwin nodded, "Exactly. That is why, I am saying that we must help them."
All of them turned their heads at him. "How?" asked Earl while glaring at him.
Rodwin smirked. "Our friends are out because one cannot control his beast."
Logan nodded. "If we are out too, we too are not able to control our beast."
Preston raised his eyebrows, "The King will doubt us all. We all are those ten soldiers."
"But we save our friends," completed Davis.
______
Samara sniffled while remembering the seer. She wished that woman should have been here. With her help she could have been able to prove that the beast was someone who was high in emotions tonight.
It was Nathaniel.
Because of him, her brother too was caught in this circle of doubt. God knows, what the King would do to the three suspects. Violet had tried to soothe her down by sweet talking. But she was utterly upset.
Her night was not fine, it was sufferable. But this was not. Because of all this, she even got angry on Rodwin who himself seemed conflicted. She felt bad but now she wished that he would really try to do something.
"What. Are these boys. Doing?" muttered Violet while holding her shoulder.
Two of the soldiers who were red heads, Violet immediately recognised them as Nathaniel's friends. They were always being seen with him, following his orders. She gasped when they started raising their tone.
"It all happened because of you."
Samara too stepped ahead along with other families to watch what was happening.
Earl glared at the friend. "It didn't. It was your fault. You wanted us to go to the woods that night. Because of you, Nathaniel is out-" a strict punch was stroked to his cheek, making everyone gasp.
The other friend came in front who tried to apart them but Preston didn't waver off from hitting Earl. "You are the culprit, loser." They started hitting each other.
The gents who were not the Warriors but simple villagers, started interrupting the fight to stop them. While all the ladies watched them in shock along with the Prince who was twitching his lips in anger.
At this moment, these boys were now blaming each other. The Prince was glad that he had shared the true story with all the audience. Atleast when one gets caught, everyone would have the idea of how and why. But these two soldiers were fighting for no reason. It wasn't about who wanted to go the woods.
Because no one was wolf. The wolf took birth after the bite which was given during that night. But at least, he had the number of ten soldiers narrowed to three. They were the only one who left the hall when the moon was at it's fullest. They couldn't control the heat and wanted to burst out in the beast.
"What are you thinking, son?" He turned around to stare at his father.
"They are fighting for no reason. When one is beast, they cannot do anything now. Blaming each other won't kill the murderer living in that soldier's body," he replied.
The King nodded, observing as some of the family men had almost calmed down the soldiers. "Do you think our Warriors would catch them?"
The Prince replied, "Yes, absolutely. They were trained for this. They were told all the symptoms. Even if they cannot identify the beast or have caught them without anyone turning, we will have the three of them. Maybe, then beast could peacefully change in front of us."
The King raised his eyebrows, his mind forming a different question. "What if our Warriors found those three as human as they are? Maybe, because someone else had shifted tonight."
The Prince could feel his heart falling down in utter horror. "No, father." He smiled nervously. "Those ten soldiers had been with the wolves. Now, when only three have hid themselves. It is clear, it is one of them."
"I don't think so, my Prince." Erasmus came forward. He pointed towards the group of soldiers. "The ten of them are out now."
The Prince straightened up, along with his father. Both could feel chills running down their spine.
"Why didn't you tell us?" The Prince yelled while staring at the big doors of the hallway which were closed.
Erasmus pointed towards the doors on the center of the left wall of the hall. They were covered with curtains tied to the pillars as because of the plan to catch the beast, the King wanted it easy for them.
"It was supposed to be closed." The King yelled while the whole crowd watched in shock.
While the Prince noticed that the two soldiers who had started the fight were absent too. He twitched his lips in frustration.
One of the villager in a noble coat came forward. "It was, my King." He spoke while showing them a little royal lock that was broken.
The crowd gasped while the King sat back on the throne, feeling troubled. He looked at his son. "What do we do now?"
The Prince glared back at the crowd. "The ten soldiers have ran away. All of them. Even the two who were fighting here. Even the best five whom I had given posts tonight. Either they were desperate to help us by catching the beast themselves, or the beast was actually one of the seven soldiers who were left here in the hall."
Samara widened her eyes while exchanging glance with Violet.
"I want you all to help us. All the males, please come and help your Warriors because now, the beast can even murder without shifting. He got his cover of other nine soldiers." The Prince's furious voice ran through the crowd.
"I want that beast killed tonight," he yelled in anger.
The men came forward and we're about to cheer back when a loud growl ripped through the whole castle, halting every breath.
Erasmus shuddered as terrors of that night returned to his heart. He widened his eyes and shook his head in horror.
"There's no cover, my Prince. He has transformed by now." He shouted.
Everyone followed his gaze at the moon, believing in his words. But the belief turned into horror when a large howl of victory echoed throughout the hall.
"It's him," he shouted again. "He has come to worship the full moon, he has come for the sacrifice."
Samara shook her head in horror, remembering the seer's words who had warned her already about everything that was happening. She whimpered in regret while feeling her chest tightening in extreme fear.
On the other side, Erasmus couldn't stop alerting the crowd as he yelled again.
"The Soldier has come to commit more sins."
_____
"What do you think of our ten soldiers?"
Please vote and comment.
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I want you all to remember the Prince's story of the Sherfield woods/ten soldiers very well. Because it is the base of catching the Soldier of Sins and will be mentioned repeatedly. To not get confuse, please re-read or keep it memorized.
If you want me to repeat it in a more memorizing way, I can use pictures or charts for better understanding. But if you all already know clearly what had happened, please put your guesses about who could be those ten? Who was beaten and left behind beside the pond? Who were the three soldiers who came to help him? Who could be those six who ran away?
For now, we only know that Rodwin was one of those three protectors of the beaten one as the Prince had told us. There are many others clue left in previous chapter like Logan confessing that he was involved too.
So, give more guesses, will help us all in enjoying the story or tell me to repeat the tale of ten soldiers for you.
Have a nice day. 🐺