Chapter Twelve #2
“Y-Yeah, we’ll go in a minute,” I said before I spotted something dark moving in the distance. “Wait, what is that?”
All eyes turned to what I was looking at, and when I stepped further down the street and stared up at the treeline, the unmistakable spectral cloak of Shaar billowed in the breeze before stepping into the Mist Woods.
“Shaar,” I growled. “Of course he was here.”
“Shaar?” Thror frowned. “Who’s that?”
“Drakar’s latest puppet,” I said with venom. “He’s his Lieutenant. And he’s taken it upon himself to try and occupy my town.”
“He didn’t join in the fight?” Thror asked. “Why?”
There was only one reason I could think of. Shaar had already attacked numerous times now, and when he’d been beaten during our first fight, his confidence was knocked down a few pegs.
“Because he’s testing our mettle,” I said. “I beat him the first time he tried. Now, he’s trying to look for weak spots so it won’t happen again.”
“So, you think he won’t attack Midhallow again?” one of the townguard asked.
“It’s highly unlikely, but you should be prepared,” I warned. “I think his sights are set on Gladewood, and Gladewood alone.”
“But why attack here?” Kristoff asked.
“Because I’m here,” I said. “I’m the instigator in his eyes. He thought I was the leader of the town instead of Alden, and he seems to think I have what he wants.”
I saw the king’s men straighten at my words, but I didn’t let on any more than that. They knew about the shard, and they knew I was the most likely person to have it, but so far, I hadn’t given anything away.
And I planned to keep it that way.
“Fetch your horse and wagon,” Giian said plainly. “We leave immediately.”
I wrapped my arm around Ellyn’s shoulders and motioned for Thror to follow me back up the street. There were still things I needed to say to him, and I wanted to do that without the prying ears of the king listening in.
The mayor gave some brief orders to his men to clear away the bodies and separate the Midhallowers from them so they could be buried. Then he jogged over to me and my wife and joined us in the uphill walk.
“I’m sorry this happened, Thror,” I muttered. “I really am.”
“You have nothing to apologize for, Noah,” the orc said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I wish I could help more,” I admitted. “I wish I could put a vine wall around this place like I did with Gladewood, but if I do that, the king’s men will know I have the shard.”
“Don’t worry about that,” the green-eyed man reassured me. “I understand why you can’t. A human harnessing that kind of power is unheard of.”
“As soon as they leave, I’ll do it,” I promised. “But I can’t until they’re gone.”
“I understand,” he reiterated. “But Midhallow will be fine. We have magic-wielders manning the wall at all times. You might have seen them come rushing in.”
“But will it be enough?” I sighed. “I’m not doubting your people’s skills, but what if Shaar decides to strike Midhallow just for the sake of it with more men?”
“We will handle it,” Thror insisted with a squeeze to my shoulder. “You’ve done enough for us already. I just hope you get home safe and that Gladewood is still standing.”
The thought of it not being there when we returned made a violent shiver run down my spine, but I pushed that thought far away.
“Yeah,” I quietly mumbled. “Me, too.”
“As for the king’s men, you’re handling them quite well,” Thror commented. “Keep them in the dark. I can tell they’re scrambling for whatever they can find, but if they truly believed you were the one holding the shard, your farm would already be ransacked.”
“I guess you’re right,” I agreed just as Ethel and my wagon came into view. “But I’m waiting for the day that finally happens.”
“Vigilance is key,” the mayor said. “You have two wanting eyes looking at you from both sides, but you’re still standing. And so is the shard. Keep it that way.”
“I plan to,” I said with a firm nod. “Thanks, Thror.”
“Anytime, my friend,” the pale-skinned orc said with the briefest smile. “We’ll have to reconsider how we do this goat cheese trade. But I can come up with something once we’ve taken care of the dead.”
“Of course,” I said as I helped Ellyn climb onto the bench. “And there really is no rush. We’ve got heaps of the stuff, but it lasts forever.”
“Then I look forward to when we can officially start our business trade,” Thror said as he glanced behind the cart. “Your new girlfriend is on her way from the town hall. She’s very beautiful.”
“He’s got good taste,” Ellyn teased as she nudged me with her elbow.
Karrida was running beside the man who had rung the bell, and when she finally reached us, she was red-faced and panting.
“It all… went okay?” she asked in a breathless voice.
“Yeah, apart from losing a few good men,” I informed her. “Hop in the back. We need to head home and make sure everyone’s okay.”
“You don’t think they attacked Gladewood, too, do you?” Karrida asked in a panicked tone as she climbed into the back of the cart beside the rocking chair.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think the only reason Shaar attacked here is because it’s where I was.”
“He’s trying to get you to use the shard,” Ellyn said. “As soon as you do, its connection to you is confirmed.”
“And then I’ll have him and the king’s men on my ass,” I grumbled. “That’s why I’m ignoring it every time it pulls on my chest.”
“The poor thing,” Karrida pouted. “I bet it’s suffering by just sitting idle on your farm.”
“It will need to keep suffering until it’s safe,” I said firmly. “I can’t lose it. And I can’t put our town at any more risk.”
“Safe travels back, my friend,” Thror said as he took a few steps away from Ethel. “Send word if anything else happens.”
“I will.” I nodded as I grabbed the reins and turned Ethel around. “Goodbye, Thror.”
The kind mayor waved us off as we made our way back down the street. The bodies had been cleared out of the way, and the king’s men were waiting for us in the arched entrance.
“Took you long enough,” Giian sneered. “You do realize your town could be in danger?”
“It’s highly unlikely Shaar will launch another attack so soon,” I said. “If you hadn’t noticed, he’s methodical. He paces himself and his attacks.”
“He’s sussing you out,” Giian said as he narrowed his eyes at me. “And I want to know why.”
“I already told you, he thinks I have something he wants,” I said. “Sound familiar?”
The lieutenant grumbled and rolled his shoulders before he turned his horse around with a flick of his wrists.
“Follow close behind me,” he ordered in a firm, authoritative voice.
“Sir, yes, sir,” I scoffed under my breath.
Aila and Kryyk bordered me again, and I made sure Ethel was almost kissing the ass of Giian’s horse as we rode back to town.
When we finally made it, Gladewood was untouched. There were men situated on the watchtower now, and when we approached the sealed gate, they announced our arrival to the people below.
The gate unfurled itself, and our small party trotted straight through town to the center.
When we reached the town hall, Alden came out and stepped in front of us with wide eyes. Then, as if sensing our presence, Commander Nuro rounded the corner of one of the side streets and quickly cantered over on his horse.
“What happened?” he demanded as soon as he spotted the blood on our armor and clothes.
“Lieutenant Shaar orchestrated another attack,” Giian said. “He sent a small party of men to attack Midhallow. The situation was handled, but Shaar got away.”
“You let him slip through your fingers?” Nuro asked in an ice-cold voice.
For a moment, Giian’s unwavering confidence faltered, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed.
“He was never in the fight,” I interjected. “He was watching from the shadows again. I only noticed him once everyone else had been killed.”
Nuro grunted as his piercing green eyes flicked across all of us.
“Write a report immediately, Giian,” the Commander ordered. “The king wants to know everything that happens.”
“Right away, Commander,” Giian said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice before he trotted toward the Frostfyre.
“I hope you found what you were looking for in Midhallow, Noah,” Nuro said as his attention zeroed in on me. “But I would suggest not making such a trip again.”
I didn’t like him telling me what to do, but I was already going to hold off on leaving the Gladewood area until Shaar was dealt with.
“I got what I needed,” I said. “Now, I’d like to go home.”
Before Ethel could take one step further, Nuro pulled his horse in front of her. My Shire horse let out a surprised sound and staggered back a few steps, which made the whole wagon jolt.
“Easy,” I soothed her with a soft pat on her back before I looked up with a scowl. “What the hell is your problem, Nuro?”
“An escort home would be appropriate,” he said plainly. “It would seem the correlation between the attack the other day and the attack in Midhallow is you, Noah. You could be at risk, so my men and I will accompany you home.”
Like hell they were going to do that.
I knew exactly why they wanted to follow me home, and it wasn’t for ‘protection.’ They wanted to see my farm and sniff around for the shard. But I wasn’t going to give them that luxury unless they tried to take it by force.
“That is a very kind offer, Nuro, but I will have to decline,” I said in a casual tone.
“Are you turning down aid from the King’s Hand?” The Commander’s thick eyebrow raised toward his hidden hairline.
“I’m simply saving you time and effort,” I said. “We need to get home quickly.”
“And why might that be?” Nuro’s green eyes narrowed on me.
I needed to come up with an excuse quickly. These guys were resilient, and nothing seemed to deter them when it came to danger. But they were proud and highly aware of their image and the upkeep the king’s name needed, so… I needed to strike a little lower.