I made my way back to my tent after the embers of the fire had turned to the red glow like heated blood. I felt the awareness the battle had left me with. I noticed every creature, every movement. I just couldn't keep the battle off my mind. I felt sorry for Elrohir and was glad I had for once pushed my feelings aside for others. When people are distressed they need a shoulder, not someone else's weight. the night pressed in around me hugging my clothes to my body. I felt suddenly alone as I came out of focus from myself.
The tents parted before me as I neared my destination. I had been forced to camp close to the centre for my own safety. I loathed the idea. It put everyone else at risk and I would never find solitude during the daylight hours. At least I was close to Elrohir. I'm a solitary person and don't appeal to the idea of being forced to be with people who I don't know. Elrohir seemed to be of the same temperament so we could work through this together. With emotions running high throughout camp we would need each other more and more. I wanted to be there for him. After all If I hadn't been before he could have died. Camaraderie was the way to survive.
I relished the silence of my tent. It was chilly tonight, but as much as I wanted to throw myself under the covers and think of the warm blankets of the palace, the task became impossible. I just had too much adrenalin. It was at that moment I thought of something I hadn't before. I rummaged around and quickly found what I was looking for. I took pen to parchment and began to write. I soon lost myself in a river of ink and emotions. I left this world and delved into my own. It felt somehow right to let go in this way. I didn't even think about what I wrote I just sort of spaced out.
I came to as a rather nasty clang resonated through my tent. I pulled the woollen curtain apart to inspect its origin.
" Morgel, that is not a doorbell. " I scorned. He sheathed his sword and took a step towards me.
" If I had meant to allow you comfort I would have walked in " He smirked.
" That's just disrespectful " I said through gritted teeth. I wasn't allowed to lose it in front of the army.
" If I wanted you to like me, It wouldn't have been hard to seduce you. " He flashed me a wicked grin as if to prove his point.
I wasn't fooled. Notching an arrow " You have ten seconds to get out." I sneered.
He help his hands up but continued to smirk at me. " And you have ten seconds to be In the command tent. The General has called a meeting. " with that he swept out of sight.
Again I wanted to hit Morgel until he bled. Men without respect really get my blood going. Is it really too much to ask that I should be on the same level as him? We all stood around the tactical map in the command tent. It was an exhausting sight. Every one of us looked like we were going to collapse. However, the general straitened up.
" Sir, we have been going over our next course of action for hours." Elrohir said voicing all our minds. " We have no choice but to press on to the third realm. "
" There is always the choice of spending another day in your realm my lord. " The general added. I was amused to see him this way. Back at the palace he had presented a threatening picture with a obvious dislike for me. However, before Elrohir humbled him to a meek man with excellent posture. I had to hold back a giggle as I thought of him kneeling before Elrohir.
I snapped out of it. It was Morgel who spoke next to my surprise. " Whilst the idea is admirable and would help us in the long run, If we see any more of the Corkash they will thin out whatever replacements we muster. We must find the source of the beasts. "
" He is right general. I too have wondered how such a force of Corkash has attacked us. Whilst it is highly possible we destroyed what our enemies managed to muster, I fear they might be breeding them and we have a bigger problem than we thought."
I dove right in. " what must we do? "
" We must send a small force to seek them out. We know the general direction they came from so we could start there. " Elrohir stated.
" Very good my Lord whom shall go? " Queried the general.
" I will. " I replied. Everyone began to stare at me sending shivers down my spine. I swallowed. " I... I-I can fight. Why shouldn't I go? "
" You and Morgel don't really have any experience in commanding a battalion. " The general stated. He clearly wasn't humbled by my presence.
" I will be King, it is my duty to carry out- "
" and It is your duty to live to receive the crown. " Elrohir interrupted. " My friend..." He clapped Morgel on the shoulder. " Trust me, sit this one out. Live a little longer. "
I couldn't believe it but Morgel yielded. He sighed and abruptly took his leave. " I and Galandria will go without further argument General. " With that he also stomped off.
The General broke the silence. " You should be thankful for his actions. Under my command I would not have put an inexperienced woman at risk. "
" I see. Well I suppose some day you will just have to come to terms with my gender. " I swept from the tent my anger rising through my skull. I stepped outside to a dawn on the horizon. I decided to take as large a nap as I could manage.
I woke up to a sentry informing me that our team was assembling on the northern edge of camp. I quickly outfitted with everything I would need. I put on my leather chest plate just to be prepared. After all it was light but It would make it harder to sneak up on any base we may encounter. I picked up my bow and breathed out long and slow. Who knew what we may encounter when we left the safety of the camp. I studied the bow. I shook off the uncertainty and fear threatening my mind. I was ready to hunt some Corkash.
It had been a few hours since we set out and the warm golden evening light was slanting through the trees. It had been calmed since we started. We had managed to encounter the expected tracks a little way into the woods to the north of our camp. We had tracked them steadily uphill but without a sign of a base of operations. Then came the sound of running water through the trees.
" I don't recall a river being anywhere nearby " one of our officers half whispered. Elrohir hissed at us to be quiet.
It was then that I heard the snarls of the Corkash. I could hear perhaps a hundred. I crouched behind the bushes at the edge of what must be the glade the beasts were in. I peered through the gap in the leaves. As expected I laid eyes on blackened tents and a host of bustling Corkash. Some were feasting, others drinking and fights seemed to break out all through the camp. The disorganised filthy beasts made my blood boil. They were truly hideous.
Elrohir leaned towards me. " Alright, here's what we are going to do. Me and the ground team are going to flank them and you should cover us from the trees. Try to make a ring around the glade and when I tell you to fire some shots from the western side of the glade. We will attack from behind."
I nodded and got my team together. We soon were sat in the trees. I had chosen to position myself on the western side of the glade. I wanted to help as much as possible so the distraction wouldn't go amiss. I was right to do so. As expected the beasts began to run towards us in a ferocious scramble. But that wasn't the worst of it. Suddenly I was knocked from my perch in the trees. A huge Corkash stepped out from the edges of my now blurred vision. It had to be the Corkash leader. He snarled and lifted a huge black war hammer that was already dripping with blood. I prayed for who he must have killed, to see such an awful sight before death is a terrible way to go.
I stood. He grinned at me with pointed teeth. I snarled in return. I mustn't fear him now. He swung at me with a bellow. I rolled underneath his attack and attempted to cut across his back. I underestimated his speed and a bone shattering force smashed me straight into the nearest tree. Red spots appeared before my eyes. I had to get up or it would be all over. He would surely crush me into a pulp. I waited for the hit.
I soon began to realise it wasn't coming. I felt arms around me as I was hoisted to my feet. I strained my eyes open and would have lost my balance if Elrohir hadn't been supporting my weight.
" I guess... we are even. " I managed.
" I guess we are " He chuckled.
I soon was able to stand on my own. I surveyed the mess of ashes and bodies. People had already begun to bury the dead and burn the defeated. I heard we hadn't suffered that many casualties, which meant the army was getting better at dealing with these creatures. It was then I noticed a pool of water fringed with stone. Decorative symbols traced its edge of some lost dialect. Life seemed to thrive in and around it. It was then I wondered why the Corkash would guard such a thing. They don't drink water only merch. No one knows what's in the stuff, but I don't recommend trying to find out.
I dipped my hand in and to my surprised noticed a long gash I had received from my fall. I quickly withdrew my hand so as not to spoil the water. To my surprise my skin began to knit itself back together. I turned to Elrohir. " Did you see that? "
Everyone around me was just as dumbfounded. " That's incredible." He breathed. " We should take some back with us it could come in handy. "
" I don't know..." I shrugged. " It could be sacred or something. We might not be supposed to remove it from the basin. Besides the Corkash refusal to touch it should tell us something."
" I believe they were guarding it. Why else would they stay here?" He argued. he filled a flask with water from the pool. Rolling up his sleeves, before I could stop him, he poured it over a gash on his forearm. It had the same effect as my wound. " You see. " He breathed " This is a wonderful find. However we shouldn't take too much. You and I can fill a flask each and we can take five back for the surgeons. I complied and filled my flask. Then we slowly began to make our way back to camp. I wondered what would be in store for us upon our return...