Hidden Realm by T.R. Slauf

Author:T.R. Slauf
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dark Fantasy, Dark Fairytale, Fairytale Retelling, Fantasy Horror, Grimdark Series, Grimdark fantasy, Grimdark fantasy series for adults
Publisher: T.R. Slauf
Published: 2023-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

11. Old Man Mavill

Esther and Oisin walked along the less-traveled southeastern roads, careful to avoid any villages lest they draw attention to themselves. The road was coarse and full of roots and ran a mile parallel to the Dark Wood. Although the roads were deserted of humans, they worried about the other travelers they might encounter.

The days were mostly bright and warm, while the nights were clear and cool. Esther was thankful for the heavy winter cloaks Oisin found before they left. Hers was a dark blue with a clasp in the shape of a lightning bolt, while Oisin’s was a sage green with a clasp in the shape of an arrow. Esther wondered where he’d gotten them, but somehow she already knew. Leonardo.

Esther always wrapped herself and Adrik in the cloak at night. She often lay awake under the moonlight, looking through the journal of maps Oisin gave her. Oisin insisted on keeping watch for most of the night, letting her sleep, but she refused to close her eyes.

Tonight, Esther marveled at the night sky. It was alight with thousands of stars, more stars than she’d ever seen. It was beautiful, and she wanted to absorb every drop of silver light.

“What’s wrong, lass?” Oisin asked, his voice a gruff whisper.

“Hm?” Esther hummed.

“You haven’t been sleepin’.”

Esther sighed; she didn’t want to tell him the truth, but she knew he would notice eventually. “Every time I close my eyes, I see them. I feel Khal’s blood on my hands. I never wanted any of this, to have people die for me. I never wanted to be a hero. And I couldn’t save them.”

“You give people courage to fight for their homes, their families. You give people hope, and that’s not a bad thing, lass.” Oisin sighed, running a hand down his face. “The worst part of this job is knowin’, no matter how hard you try, you can’t save everyone. I wish I had all the answers for ya. I wish I could tell ya it gets better,” his words hung heavy in the air.

Oisin stood, walking the short distance to where Esther lay. Setting his cloak down, he settled in beside her. Not close enough to touch, but close enough she could feel his warmth.

“What are you doing?” Esther asked.

“Sometimes, it helps you sleep knowin’ you’re not alone in the darkness.”

She scooched closer to him. Allowing their arms to touch, her fingers gently brushed against his. Rolling her head against his shoulder, she fell asleep. For the first time since Gunderson she felt peace; she felt safe.

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