The troops returned all at once. There was an enormous clatter of metal as men and women stomped through the camp to return to their tents. Yesterday, they had come back in waves, sounding like a din of percussion for hours. Today, however, it sounded like an explosion, like the battle was finding its way to the camp, far from the battlefield.I stuck my head out of the tent to watch the silvery army march back. Horses and foot soldiers tromped between tents, dodging fire pits and livestock pens. There was a strong smell of sweat, both human and animal, with camp attendants scampering around to attend to soldiers and animals alike. I wasn't sure what I liked better, the peace of the camp after everyone left for the battlefield, or victorious chatter as they returned.Taking a quick glance at the bruises on my arms and legs, I realized they had faded enough at this point that they definitely wouldn't be noticeable. Thank whatever gods ruled this realm. I didn't want Fynn to catch on
The following night, Fynn came back from battle heavier than he had since we had been here. According to the others, they won again, but Fynn was clearly already growing weary. Maybe he just needed to get back into the swing of going to battle every day, or maybe something deeper was going on, but he didn't say much at all today.Ronan made some sort of rice dish that filled me up quickly, and Fynn went to bed without more than a few words to anyone. I felt uneasy at his demeanor, but he was asleep by the time I finished my dinner, so I didn't have the chance to talk with him.Just after sunset, there was a bird singing outside the tent. A huge bird with an intricately braided beard and tattoos all the way up his arms and neck.I did my best to whistle back a similar tune, but it was a weak attempt at best. Still, it seemed to get the message across because I could hear Ragnar chuckling as he crashed through the underbrush outside the tent.Slipping out of the tent as quietly a
I was beginning to develop a routine at this point. During the day, with my riding practice, I was finally able to start unsheathing the sword. I was too afraid to try swinging it just yet because I didn't want to decapitate my beloved pony. I had decided to name him Enbarr after the horse from Celtic myth, hoping that might bring him some speed and good luck.Getting ready for my riding exercises, I was fastening my boots when I heard a noise behind me in the tent. Ragnar's lessons were paying off. I whirled on my heels and had the intruder pinned to the bed in an instant.Sean snapped his fingers and was across the room instantly. I fell to the bed, off balance from his sudden absence. I jumped back to my feet, unwilling to let him catch me off guard for too long."What do you want?" I demanded."Ugh, awfully cranky today, are we? It doesn't suit you," he dismissed, pacing a few feet away. Maybe my newly learned abilities had surprised him. I hoped they did. That might teach
*Fynn*The battlefield was empty now. This wasn't a battle of casualties. There were few injured, and no dead to be removed from the battlefield. This was basically war games. Water Court was biding their time until the curse was fulfilled and they would gain everything that mattered to me.I had been unfaithful to Evangeline. This was my punishment. I had let a night of fae wine and her absence lead me to make unforgivable choices. She had felt the appropriate response was to spend her nights with anyone who caught her fancy, whether it was me or someone else.At first, I thought I deserved it. Eventually, though, I realized that it was a horribly toxic arrangement, and so I broke things off. Our marriage was supposed to join our Courts, strengthen them both. But Evangeline was a vengeful witch, and she cursed me for what she considered to be not keeping my word.A hundred years.I had a hundred years to find my true mate. It was clear we weren't mates, and she insisted that
*Sage*Fynn brought supper back to the tent. I should have gone out with him, sat with the others around the fire, and talked about battle or the weather, or whatever they liked to talk about. I didn't though. I stayed collapsed on the bed for a little while longer, wondering what in the world I was really doing."Whose turn was it to make dinner tonight?" I asked as Fynn handed me another bowl of stew. Today, at least, there was bread to go with it. That was a rarity."Ronan. He's not a great cook, I'll warn you," Fynn informed me with a smile."I'm sure it will do the job," I chuckled back, taking the bowl and using it to warm my hands.I sipped at the broth. It wasn't as flavorful as I was used to, but it reminded me a lot of food from home. The flavors just weren't as intense or as vivid as I was used to now. While Fynn seemed to be struggling through his, I ate mine just fine. I hoped they wouldn't make me cook anytime soon. They would be more than disappointed."I'm t
I waited all day for Fynn to come back. He had made it out of the tent this morning without waking me at all, which was evidence of how hard I trained last night. I wondered if that clued him in that something was different.It made me anxious to think he might have clued in, but I had to risk it. It might even be fun to try to take him in a fight. I mean, there was no way I would win a fight like that, but it might be worth it to try, just to see if he would even engage with me.I was practically pacing by the time I heard the other soldiers start to return. I started searching for a place to hide so I could surprise Fynn. I knew it was entirely possible that he could be gone for a long time. Sometimes it took him hours to come back from the battlefield.Luckily, tonight was not one of those nights. Fynn's casual yet authoritative stroll was easily identifiable outside. Those broad shoulders and heavy muscling of his made him just heavy enough to have loud footsteps.Diving ne
*Fynn*Sage held open the tent flaps. I ducked my head out, looking for any signs that someone might see us. Not that I was afraid to be seen with Sage, but rather, I was afraid someone might catch me slipping down to the creek to take a bath. It seemed somehow unbecoming of a commander. I mean, everyone should bathe from time to time. In the evenings before bed, I usually washed in the wash basin in the tent, but I knew I should get a full bath.I just preferred to avoid bodies of water these days.I turned to look back at Sage. I noticed then that the vine that climbed the central tent pole was now covered in delicate blue day flowers, ironic because it was early evening and this was the first time I'd seen them bloom."Go. You stink," Sage commanded, giving me a little nudge.I rolled my eyes and stomped out into the dark. There were a couple of little purple birds sitting at the entrance to the tent, staring at me with heads tipped to the side. They were waiting expectant
"Well, that's a rather rude greeting," Sean purred, reminding me of an orange tabby cat I once had as a child. It used to preen itself and purr, enticing people to get closer before it swiped out at them. It was just a mean old cat, satisfied with causing pain."I've told you plenty of times that I'm not interested in dealing with you. Take your business elsewhere," I warned."You haven't even heard what I have to say," Sean rebuffed."And I don't intend to," I retorted. "I'm only standing here to make sure you leave my camp. I don't want you stirring up trouble with any of my men either.""I wouldn't dream of it. Although, that pretty little captive you keep tucked away is an awfully tempting treat," he chuckled darkly.I grabbed him by his sooty black collar, dragging him closer. If I wasn't so furious, I'd be impressed at myself with how fast I was able to grab him. The old bastard was surprisingly slippery most of the time. Maybe he was losing his touch. I could hope at l
I was familiar with the concept of a receiving line. I wasn't sure if it was a custom here or not, but it didn't take long at all for a line to form outside of the chapel."Congratulations, we couldn't be more excited for you," a couple of tiny pixies congratulated us."Thank you. And thank you for honoring us with your attendance," Fynn told them."Yes, thank you," I agreed, not at all prepared for a situation like this. I didn't have his skills with people. He always knew what to say to someone and most of the time I was left stammering.There was a steady stream of people, and I started feeling like I was getting the hang of what to say to them. Most of the time, I just recycled something I heard Fynn say to someone else, but people really just seemed to appreciate being acknowledged and spoken to kindly.Every now and then, there would be a few people who seemed less than thrilled at my presence. A lot of them were women who were clearly attracted to Fynn, and that was un
It only took a couple of weeks for Magnus to make his way back. He'd been planning a return trip to meet with Fynn anyway, so it wasn't difficult for him to extend his stay for a couple of days.The day that Magnus and his company marched into the city was bitterly cold, but the sky was blue and the soft, fluffy clouds that floated on the wind looked like cotton candy. There was celebration and triumph, music playing, and banners waving as they rode into the city.There had been nearly consistent celebration since the end of the war. For nearly a month now, there had been feasts, dances, speeches, and parties. Fynn and I had attended almost every one of them. Fynn had even hosted a few himself, introducing me to all of the families that helped him rule over his domain. The Woodland Court covered a surprising amount of territory, and people came from all over to celebrate victory with Fynn.Now that Fynn ruled Water Court too, it was expansive. He would need help organizing a new
"I have a request," Fynn told Ragnar.Ragnar grunted at him, taking a long sip from the warm drink in his hands. I had learned it was their equivalent of coffee here, but I couldn't quite get on board with it. It sort of tasted like hot dirt to me. Ragnar, however, appeared to survive off it."What do you need, brother?" Ragnar finally said after swallowing down probably half the mug."Sage and I have decided we'd like to do a bonding ceremony," Fynn started.Ragnar's eyes widened, and a broad smile split across his face. I was starting to believe he wasn't as much of a grump as he wanted the world to believe. He got to his feet so fast that his chair clattered to the floor and he practically tackled Fynn as he tugged him into a bear hug."This is perfect!" Ragnar cheered. "Do the others know?""We just decided a couple of days ago. We need someone to do our tattoos for us," Fynn explained as Ragnar put him back on the ground."I would be honored," Ragnar beamed. "When? W
Fynn released all the tension in the reins, letting Alastor gallop full force back to the manor. I slid my hands up Enbarr's neck and let him follow after, praying that he could follow Alastor well enough to not encounter any holes or tripping hazards on his way.The glee that filled the air felt like fireflies, even in the chill that came with the end of autumn. The bridge across the moat that surrounded Fynn's manor made an echoing rumble as we raced across it, and I could barely contain my excitement anymore.Alastor slowed as the road turned from dirt to gravel, and Enbarr followed his lead. I tried to drink in all the sights as we arrived, but there was too much to look at.Intricately carved wooden signs decorated the castle, with a handful of silk banners. The stables were a stunning feat of engineering and architecture, with stone arches and warm-toned wood and wrought iron. There were kennels filled with beautiful baying hounds, and a few dairy cows lowing and chewing cu
*Sage*I had about a thousand questions for Fynn. He had clearly known that something would be happening on the battlefield, but what had played out before our eyes had been the last thing I expected. When Evangeline's body crashed to the ground, sword still protruding from her chest, there was a flash of light that seared around us, and the world seemed brighter.Someone asked if we should give chase to the Water Court troops, but we were commanded to hold the line. When Fynn finally signaled for us to go back to camp, there was a sort of war whooping and victory cry like I had never heard before.A few battalions were held back to help Fynn take over the Water Court and claim it for himself, subduing the fleeing forces and helping them understand that there would be new leadership. Magnus was among the captains of the chosen battalions, and I wondered what that would be like for him. Would it be bittersweet, or trigger some tragic memory? I wanted to make sure we checked on him
I barely got any sleep after I returned to the tent. My mind spun with all sorts of possibilities and questions I didn't plan to ask. I knew though, that as far as sunrise was concerned, I needed to call a meeting first thing in the morning with my captains.I summoned a messenger from one of the nearby tents and had him work through the network of messengers to make sure that anyone who would need to know anything would be at the meeting in the morning. I laid awake and pondered how I would explain what was happening to my men, and I had to accept that they may just have to trust me.There were plenty of men who believed I was still young and untested. That felt ridiculous after a century at the helm, but compared to some of these ancient warriors, I was a young buck. I hoped that at hundreds of years old, I would still be that fighting fit, but their experience meant that they liked to push me at every turn and force me to explain every choice and call I made.Sometimes, I just
*Fynn*It was the dead of the night. I could tell by the sinister red glow exactly who had summoned me from my sleep, and I was instantly short-tempered. It had been almost a full week of accompanying Sage into battle, and my nerves were nearly shot.She was surprisingly handy in battle, and so I was thankful for that matter. She had developed a skill for healing, and Magnus and Ronan had really started helping her latch onto that. She was starting to be able to heal more and more impressive wounds, and sometimes even from short distances.Still, that didn't stop me from worrying about her every day as we rode out. I should be returning to the frontlines soon, but I was struggling to leave her behind, and there was no way I'd be taking her with me.The men were developing a respect and reverence for her that bordered on religious fervor. It was a strange thing to witness, and I wondered if they would ever see me that way. I was no saint, and I certainly was less capable when it
*Sage*It was a week after the incident with Evangeline that Fynn woke me up early."Come on, get up," he urged, a hint of genuine excitement in his voice.I scrubbed the sleep out of my eyes and attempted to look him in the face. It was early, dark enough in the tent that I was having trouble seeing him at all. I sat up, dragging myself into the cold morning air. He at least had a new set of clothes delivered so that I had some more weather-appropriate outfits and even my own suit of armor. What he intended for me to do with it, I wasn't sure, but I was proud to have it."What's going on?" I asked."Today's the day," he said proudly.My heart must have stopped beating in my chest. I felt like the whole world froze at that moment, and I wasn't sure how to get the world to start spinning again."The day for what?" I hissed, but I already knew the answer."You want to see battle, let's do it. You're coming with us today," Fynn announced.I practically leapt out of bed.
*Fynn*Something was off. I could feel it as soon as I woke up. There was a heavy mist in the air that crept under the sides of the tent. It was sticky and unseasonably warm. It smelled like citrus and gardenias, a sickly sort of smell that I would have recognized anywhere.Sage was snoring softly, quiet breaths slipping past her full lips. I smiled and rolled over to kiss her on the cheek. I would surprise her with a new wardrobe today, and it should be delivered any time after the morning post-call.I was going to be late for it if I didn't get going. Post-call meant we all had to be in our places and ready to go, and it would look bad for the commander of this whole damn outfit if I didn't make it in a timely fashion.Someone else knew that too, which was why I suspected the smoke show was appearing at this moment in time.I dragged myself out of bed and started to get dressed, doing my best to ignore the heavily perfumed smell of the mist and fog that was continuing to fi