16. The Duskrend
The Duskrend
F elix slammed the cabin door shut and marched off into the woods. He hurled his axe at the nearest tree with all his strength, the blade biting deep into the bark.
“Not your best morning, I take it?” Leif’s voice broke through the quiet. Felix ignored him. He stalked to the tree, yanked the weapon free and kept walking, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.
“Felix!” Luella called out behind him. He continued on his way, ignoring her too. Her footsteps quickened, and soon she caught up, moving beside him.
“Felix,” she said again. “She didn’t mean to do that.”
“I don’t care, Lu. Leave me alone.”
Leif’s curious gaze flicked between them as he matched their stride. “What’s going on?”
Luella gave him a sharp look. “Do you always get involved in other people’s business?”
“Sure do, Skysinger. Where are we going?” Leif asked brightly.
“I’m going to find something to hit, I don’t care what you do,” Felix growled, gripping his axe tighter .
Leif quirked an eyebrow at Luella. “Does he do this angry thing a lot?”
She shot him a withering glare before grabbing Felix by the arm, forcing him to slow down or drag her along, then stepped in front of him. Her expression was fierce; her voice low but steady. “Running away won’t fix anything.”
“I’m not running away,” Felix said, pulling free from her grasp.
Luella’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not leaving?”
Felix blinked at her, momentarily thrown off. “Leave? What? No.”
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she let out a breath. “Alright. I… wanted to make sure.”
An awkward silence fell between them, Felix staring resolutely into the trees while Luella studied his face.
He felt hurt, raw, and angry, and all kinds of things he could not name and did not want to share or be questioned about, but he wasn’t running away.
It surprised him a little. Any other time, this would have been the moment he’d pick to abandon this whole foolish mission and start fresh. But this time…
Leif, ever unfazed, broke the silence. “Well, if we’re all here and not leaving, how about a hunt? The three of us would make an excellent team!” He spread his arms wide as if presenting a grand idea.
Luella turned her glare on him. “This is not the time for –”
“Sounds like a plan,” Felix interrupted. “Let’s go.” He spun on his heel before Luella could argue, striding deeper into the trees.
***
The forest was majestic, stretching around them in an endless sea of colour. Reds and golds wove through the green, their hues intensified by the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The air was fresh, carrying the earthy scent of fallen leaves and damp soil.
Leif and Luella were ahead of Felix, quietly talking to each other. Trading scouting secrets, he imagined. Leif did not seem to care about Luella being a ‘ Skysinger’; if anything, he seemed to be impressed by her abilities. Good for him. The more Felix learned about Leif, the more he liked him.
After a while, Leif called a halt, and dropped onto a patch of grass. “Breakfast!” he declared, pulling several neatly wrapped packages from his pack. “I know both of you haven’t eaten.”
Luella stared in disbelief as he began laying out bread, apples, and smoked meat. “You brought an entire meal?”
“I told you I was going to get breakfast, didn’t I?” Leif replied, tearing into an apple with relish. “Got enough for five, actually. Your friends back in the village will have to fend for themselves.”
Felix felt a pang of guilt at leaving Isolde behind, with only Garren there to watch over her.
But Beorn was not a threat now, and she had shown last night that she could look after herself.
And he was angry with her. So, he would not worry.
If something happened, it was not his problem, and he shouldn’t care. He wouldn’t. Except… he did.
“You gonna eat, or stare off into the trees?” Leif waved a bread roll in front of Felix’s face, his grin as infectious as ever. “Come on, everyone needs a good breakfast.”
Felix snatched it from his hand. “Thanks.”
“So, what exactly are we hunting?” Luella asked, eyeing Leif as she chewed on a piece of meat. “Because so far, your loud chatter and Felix’s stomping have scared off at least two deer.”
Leif shrugged, unbothered. “Sometimes you don’t need to catch anything to have a good hunt. Sometimes, the prey is in your head.”
Luella raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure that made sense to you.”
Felix snorted. The three of them finished their meal in silence, enveloped by the calm of the forest. Of course, it didn’t last.
Luella froze, an apple halfway to her mouth, her eyes wide and staring.
“What is it?” Felix asked, dread creeping down his spine. Luella looked at him, blinking rapidly. “Mercenaries. Heavily armed, maybe seven or eight. Duskrend mercenaries. ”
Felix felt the blood drain from his face. His hand instinctively tightened around his axe. Isolde. He wasn’t with her, he was out here in this bloody forest. What were the Duskrend doing out here?
“What’s going on?” Leif asked.
Felix ignored him, focusing on Luella. “How far?”
“Half an hour, if that,” she replied, her voice tight. “Felix, they are between us and the village. Moving in that direction.”
They were on their way to the village. Isolde was there. Why the fuck had he left? Felix turned to Leif. “How good are you in a fight, Leif?”
“Absolutely not, Felix!” Luella hissed. “We go around them, warn the others!”
Leif blanched. “There’s… armed people heading for my village? Who?”
“Mercenaries,” Felix said. “We’ve had some trouble with bounty hunters before.”
“Not with the bloody Duskrend!” Luella argued. “You can’t be serious!”
Felix met her glare with steely resolve. “You just said they’re closer than we are. They’ll surprise them; it’ll be a bloodbath. We don’t have to wipe them out, only chase them off.”
Leif glanced between them, eyes wide, his hands so tight on his spear the knuckles turned white.
“Felix, this is madness,” Luella pressed. “Surely they won’t outright attack.” She did not sound convinced.
“I worked for them.” Felix said coldly. “You’ve never seen them mow through a crowd looking for one person. I have. They don’t ask nicely. We have to stop them from reaching the village.”
Leif nodded frantically.
Luella exhaled sharply, closing her eyes as though trying to centre herself. With a reluctant nod, she turned and led them off the trail.
The forest grew quieter, the cheerful birdsong replaced by the rustle of leaves in a faint breeze. Luella walked several paces ahead, her movements silent as a shadow, her body tense with concentration. She stopped abruptly, quietly signalling a halt.
Felix crouched beside her, his breath steady. “What do you see?” he whispered .
“Eight,” she murmured. “On that ridge.”
The trees were dense, the undergrowth thick, but Felix squinted through a small gap and caught sight of the mercenaries. They had their weapons in hand, but walked casually.
He shifted his position for a better look.
He counted two crossbows, the rest holding swords.
That was good, at least. As his gaze swept across the group, he did a double take.
Was that…? The man’s head turned to talk to someone, and his stomach twisted.
Alwin. He had hoped to never see the man again, but here he was.
Hunting Isolde. Alwin had been his captain, and the man had a penchant for cruelty to rival any torturer.
He’d been half the reason Felix had wanted to leave the mercenary band.
The sight of him here wasn’t merely unsettling – it was infuriating.
“Shit,” he muttered.
Luella glanced sideways. “What?”
“Alwin,” Felix said quietly. “Big guy near the back with the ugly face. He was my captain. A brute with a mean streak.”
“You think he’ll recognize you?”
“Probably. He hated my guts. The feeling was mutual.” Still is.
It was a risk, but it was also an opportunity to get rid of the bastard once and for all. And if there was one thing Felix was in the mood for, it was a good fight. He narrowed his eyes and flexed his fingers on his axe handle.
“He’s not the sharpest tactician. Likes to throw his weight around and intimidate his way through a fight. Easy to bait. We can use that.”
Luella raised an eyebrow. “How?”
Felix’s gaze shifted to Leif. “We lure them into an ambush. Look at them. Overconfident, cocky bastards. If they make it to the village, it will be chaos. Here, the forest is to our advantage. Anywhere nearby that would work, Leif?”
Leif studied the layout of the land, his expression thoughtful. “There’s a gully a little way back, if you keep the ridge on your left. Narrow and steep, but it flattens out on the other side, with a choke point before the descent…”
Felix nodded, his mind racing. “Perfect. ”
“And how do you plan to lure them to that spot?” Luella asked, her tone sceptical. “Did you bring a pot of honey?”
Felix grinned faintly. “I’ll give them something to chase.”
Leif blinked. “You mean yourself?”
Felix’s grin widened. “What else?”
“You’re insane,” Luella muttered, with more resignation than surprise.
Felix ignored her and continued. “Leif, you head to that gully and wait. I’ll draw them in that direction. Lu, you go with Leif and find a good spot to pick them off with your bow.”
Leif looked pale but nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
He watched them double back toward the choke point.
Once he was certain he had given them ample time, he moved.
He snuck up behind the mercenaries, straightened and walked normally, trying his best to make a lot of noise.
Soon enough, the two men at the back turned around.
Felix pretended to startle at the sight of them, standing frozen in place.
“You! Get over here!”