Chapter 19 #2
I had lived my life in white and dull earthy hues. Colors were left to the environment, like we were a mere canvas for nature to paint on. Only occasionally would a woman dare to thread a darker shade of ribbon in her hair at a festival, signaling herself open for a lover.
The deep red outfit I wore would have been scandalous, standing out like a harlot, a single red rose defying the snow.
“What?” Onyx rumbled behind me, and I swear I could hear a smile in his tone. “Not what you thought?”
“No.” I shook my head. When you think Night Ravens are nothing but bloodthirsty beasts who had no use for a real society, Carrion Crow was a shock to the system. “There’s so much color.” And civility, I thought in my mind.
The structures were weathered and time-beaten, giving it a shade of grittiness, but it still was nothing like I thought a Northern town would be.
The large moon hung over the village, the lake’s surface shimmering with its light.
Market stalls stretched down the road, selling various items from soap to furs.
Women, men, and children minded some of the booths, while others looked to be closing down for the day.
The town bustled with energy as the population moved around the streets, going in and out of the pastel-shaded buildings.
Many of the places had a black raven at the crux of the roofline, a symbol of their king. A reminder I was in enemy territory.
“I had actually imagined you all picking your teeth with your toenails.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Bj?rn,” Onyx replied.
“And drinking the blood from babies.”
“Why limit it to just babies?”
I snorted, jabbing my elbow back into him.
“The only blood we crave here . . .” His mouth grazed my ear. “. . . is that of the Day Ravens.”
A shiver shimmered across my shoulders, narrowing the air to my chest.
A noise came from Fluffy’s head, the groundling waking up, blinking its large eyes. It lifted its head, his twiggy hair sticking up in all directions. His huge eyes widened further, the light from the inverted sun shining in them.
A clicking sound came from him, Munch’s mouth parting, like he had never seen anything like the moon either. He jerked back, burying himself under Fluffy’s mane, chittering and clicking in terror.
“Munch.” I reached for him, realizing he didn’t know what it was.
Like me, he probably had never left his territory.
In the Shadow Rift you never knew the sun or the moon.
“Hey . . .” I picked up the horse’s hair, peering at him cowering, rolled into the tiniest ball. “It’s okay. It won’t hurt you.”
He blinked at me.
“I promise.” I tried to coax him out. “Come here.” I laid my palm out for the one-armed creature.
It burrowed in further, making Fluffy huff and shake his head in irritation.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” I had no idea if he understood me or not, but slowly he lifted his head up, creeping toward me, a tiny peep mewing from him. “It’s all right.”
Gradually he inched to my hand, keeping low as though a predator would swoop down and get him. Cupping him in my hand, I cradled him close to my chest, and he inched himself to peek over my fingers, blinking up at the huge light in the sky.
“See?” I spoke softly. “It’s just like a giant torch hanging up there.”
Munch blinked at the massive sphere, the tips of his fangs protruding from his mouth, growling at it, but slowly he stood up fully, mesmerized by the glowing circle.
It might be strange, but I was reassured by Munch as much as he was by me.
It was comforting to have someone else experiencing all of this with me. To not feel so alone.
Up ahead, I spotted Brynn, Sven, and Bj?rn dismounting their horses in front of a soft yellow building, a sign declaring it an inn.
“Ren?” Onyx asked as we rode up.
“Where do you think he is?” Brynn motioned down the street to a long muted green structure, loud voices and cheers spilling from inside the building.
“Sven.” Onyx swung his leg over, getting off the horse.
“Check us in. Gustav hopefully will have rooms for us.” Onyx ordered the youngest as he absently reached for me, his hands gripping my waist, lowering me from Fluffy, while I still cupped Munch to my chest. Brynn’s sharp gaze locked on to where Onyx’s hands held me, a familiarity that probably shouldn’t exist between abductor and abductee.
“Feed and water the horses then join us at Kamphall.” He nodded down the street, his fingers still on my hips, like touching me was so inherent now he didn’t even notice it.
“Yes, Hersir.” Sven dipped his head, scampering off inside the pretty facade. I stared after Sven, longing to follow. All I wanted was to bathe the filth off my skin and sleep in a comfy bed for days. It felt like such a long time since I had properly done either.
“Ready?” Onyx dropped his hands away.
“Do I have a choice?” I replied sharply.
A hint of a smile inched up his mouth. “You should leave him here.” He nodded to Munch. “Kamphall isn’t a place for him.”
“Then it sounds like it’s not a place for me either.”
“Probably not,” he mused, leaning in closer. “Though I think you are more ruthless and bloodthirsty than you let on.”
“Hersir?” Brynn’s voice cut to us, pulling his focus with a snap. Her gaze darted between us, like a warning to Onyx. “We should probably go before Ren does something stupid.”
“Too late for that.” Bj?rn chuckled.
Onyx put space between us, his shoulders going back, a wall coming down. His head nodded, turning with them as they headed for the structure.
He took a few steps and he realized I wasn’t following, his brow curving up. Knowing I couldn’t get out of this, there was no possibility he would let me out of his sight, I let out a long exhale.
“Stay with Fluffy, okay?” I spoke to Munch, big eyes wide on me. “Don’t get into too much trouble.”
The horse lifted his lips, showing off his teeth when I placed Munch on his back.
“You behave too, Fluffy. No fighting.” I wiggled my finger at the horse. “And no trying to eat him. Okay?”
Fluffy neighed, trying to nip at the groundling as it ran up his back to the top of his head, perching itself between his ears, patting him on the head with a happy twitter.
“Aww . . . see, look at you two getting along.”
The horse huffed out, its sharp teeth chomping down for me. Onyx yanked me back by the hood, the horse’s sharp fangs missing me by a hair.
“Hey!” I scowled at the draugrhest.
“Come on.” Onyx pulled me, dragging me away.
“That was not nice,” I yelled back at Fluffy, and I swear I could hear it snicker.
“Drittsekk,” I muttered.
“Maybe if you stopped calling him a shit bag,” Onyx said, his large steps taking me two or three to keep up.
“Oh, I was calling you that.” I scoffed. “And no way, he will not go down as Mr. Fluffy Fluffal now.” Determination set on my brow. “He will hear Fluffy echoing in the afterlife with him.”
“See?” Onyx stopped us outside the doors, cheering and voices pouring out to us from the building, a bustle of people moving in and out of the structure.
“What?”
“Ruthless and bloodthirsty.” The side of his mouth tipped up. He reached over, tugging up my hood, his expression altering to serious. “Keep this up—”
“Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes, tucking my hair under. “My hair is a target.”
His obsidian gaze slid over me, his jaw crunching down. He turned, his tone irritated. “You in general are a target.” He swung open the door, indicating me to step through, grumbling. “Just stay close.”
I stepped inside and came to a halt, Onyx bumping me from behind. Every sense was slammed with an abundance of stimulation, pattering my heart in my chest.
The stench of stale beer, blood, sweat, and grilling meat assaulted my nose.
The large, colorful room, painted in various reds, was a feast of bodies and noise.
Yelling, booing, cheering figures were crammed everywhere, their arms raised in frustration or joy, coins being traded as they stood bunched around chalked-off circles.
Shirtless men, their eyes swollen, knuckles bloody, their noses broken, punched at each other inside the lines.
My breath caught, pressing firmer into Onyx.
I had heard of places in Silvervale that men gathered to fight out their differences or gambled on fights but never was allowed to go to one.
The brutal violence took me aback, the crowds crammed around shot up my anxiety.
No one here had a sense of space, knocking and ramming into me as they tried to move through the room.
“Breathe.” Onyx spoke into my ear, his hand squeezing my hip. “Just stay close and you will be fine.”
“Onyx!” Brynn yelled out, waving him over. Her and Bj?rn had easily cut through the room to the front of the ring, their black Night Hunter uniforms dividing the sea of color, people rushing to step aside.
It reminded me of the inn in Shadow Rift, how everyone moved out of his way. Onyx didn’t seem to need a uniform for people to sense his power, to understand he was not ordinary.
They feared him.
We moved in next to Bj?rn and Brynn at the front.
“Hey!” Bj?rn yelled at a curvy woman passing by with a tray. “Some mead and food here, sweetheart?”
“Sure thing.” The woman grinned at him.
“Thanks, beautiful.” He winked at her, making her blush. He watched her walk away, the server glancing over her shoulder at him before she disappeared. “I know where my bollur will be camping tonight.” He adjusted himself, facing back to the ring.
“Did you forget, you already slept with her sister?” Onyx said.
“Really?” He peered back around. “Think she’d join too?”
“You are vile pigs.” Brynn shook her head.
“How did I get into this?” Onyx held up his hands.
“Please.” Brynn folded her arms. “You already slept with both of them.”
“Really?” It was Onyx this time turning back to get a glimpse of the girl, causing Brynn to huff in annoyance.