Chapter 167: A Moment of Peace
It didn’t take long for me to lower my guard around Captain Bethiv and his soldiers. They were the Last Light Company, famous throughout the northern continent as a ruthless band of mercenaries who rarely failed a mission. At some point, they were permanently contracted by the crown as a special unit in their standing army.
The soldiers sat around their cookfires, sharpening weapons, swapping stories, or talking of home. I sat around their main fire, my knees tucked against my chest, eyes closed to partial slits. The night breeze was cool against my skin, playing with my hair and wafting with the raucous sounds of their camaraderie. Fall was growing late, with winter just around the corner, something far more apparent on the northern continent than the southern. I sighed wistfully, absently stroking my horn. It had nearly been a year since I awoke in a cage, although that time felt infinitely longer than the eighteen years I spent on Earth.
A nearby soldier leaped to his feet and shouted, "What? For real?"
I flinched, my tail tensing, the sudden noise scattered my thoughts. The camp’s noise felt particularly chaotic, leaving me disoriented. Were we under attack? Were the soldiers finally fed up with my presence?
The soldier’s hands balled into fists, but his only companion snorted, rolling his eyes derisively. "Oh, sit down already. Just cause you lost to a gryphon doesn’t mean the rest of us are that weak."
Only when it became clear their agitation wasn’t over me did my heart rate decrease. I sighed, resting my chin against my knees, the tip of my tail flicking against the ground.
"Feeling jittery?"
I glanced up as Captain Bethiv sat down beside me, stroking the stiff bristles of his growing beard.
"I’m just a little on edge," I admitted. Ever since Soltair’s deceptive betrayal, I’d been unable to rest easy among those who showed any degree of kindness. A small thrill of fear tickled my heart as I thought of Elise, and whether I’d be able to meet her gaze. She wasn’t just waiting for her turn, too, right?