The King Slayer by Christy R. Harrill

Author:Christy R. Harrill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: kingdoms, political intrigue, king, romance, fantasy, medieval, adventure
Publisher: Rose Hollow Press
Published: 2023-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Vladimir

I CREPT THROUGH THE dense trees, bending low to the ground to avoid detection. My boots sank into the mud, the world buzzing around me. Katherine and the other four men followed close behind, pressing against my back, straining to see what we all thought we had heard. A decent-sized meadow spread out before us, breaking the woods apart. Metal grated against metal with a sickening screech, hammers pinged against nails as the tents went up. Horses issued a chorus of whinnies. Shouts rang across the camp as busy soldiers bustled about, trying to finish unloading before sundown. I stared. It was a Gharridan battalion, armed and ready for war.

“Are they already preparing for the war against Brenden?” Katherine asked.

I surveyed the camp and shook my head. “They would be amassing to the west, not the east.”

“Then what are they gathering for?”

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t know.

Even if by some chance these soldiers were headed to the war with Brenden, they wouldn’t be battle-ready. Not yet. Troops would march to the capital, but not in battle formation, not until they were close enough to join with the bigger battalions. They bore the flag of Gharridan. It flapped proudly in the winter wind, but what were they here for?

We stayed hidden, observing them, looking for any clues regarding their mission. I scanned their faces for anyone familiar, but the distance made it difficult, their features blurring together. A command tent hovered amid the soldiers, but the tent flaps never moved.

“Look, there.” Nic pointed out a soldier roaming the outskirts.

The soldier in question seemed to be scanning the trees.

Bog.

I stood up, much to the protest of those around me, and moved to the edge of the forest until I was sure he could see me. It had been weeks. Bog would’ve had time to go to the capital and back, and we’d visited multiple other villages. But what was he doing with a battalion?

Bog caught sight of me, and he hustled away from the camp.

“What if he’s sided with the Crown?” Katherine’s voice rang with irritation at my rashness.

I kept my focus on the soldier as he approached. “It’s Bog, Katherine.”

We waited anxiously as he approached, glancing over his shoulders to see if anyone was following him.

“I thought finding you was going to be impossible.” He shook his head.

I clapped Bog on the back, glad that he was safe. “Is Taryn all right? Did she make it to the capital?”

He quickly nodded. “She’s fine, last I knew.”

“How did you find us?” Katherine remained unconvinced that this wasn’t a trap.

“We had to backtrack through a couple of towns trying to guess where you would go next.”

“We?” I questioned.

Bog sighed. “Yeah, someone wants to talk with you.”

I stiffened, my next words sharp and pointed. “What did you learn in the capital, Bog?”

He winced. “That’s why we’re here. Just come with me. He said he would explain everything to you.”

Unease clawed through me at the endless possibilities of who ‘he’ was.

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