Seven Days by Ben Hale

Author:Ben Hale [Hale, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 0212-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18: Allies

Taryn listened to Trin as he finished relating the tale of their journey, taking advantage of the time to eat. It felt like weeks since he'd had a well prepared meal, and he wolfed the food down with abandon, only partially paying attention to the tale. He was more interested in what the captain had to say, so he examined their surroundings as he ate.

Surprisingly, the village looked far newer than he would have expected. It seemed as if the village had been built in just the last few months. Constructed as a series of three large caverns, the village boasted a hundred or so large structures, most of them familial dwellings.

With every makeshift building only one story, it gave the impression of a ramshackle camp, rather than a permanent village. The walls were rough hewn and of varying thicknesses. Doorways weren’t entirely straight, and few buildings carried a roof of any kind. As they’d moved through the giant village, the only thing in abundance had been weapons. Large spears and shields were placed everywhere, piles of boulders were stacked near strategic ledges, and barrels of stonesap could be seen in abundance.

The numerous fire giants they passed appeared cordial and curious about the new visitors, but they left quickly and their expressions lacked warmth. Smiles didn’t reach their dark intelligent eyes, and everyone was in a hurry. Even the two young giants they passed were sharpening huge spearheads, their gaze staring after them until they turned the corner.

When they’d reached the human camp, the captain led them into a large, square building adorned with makeshift beds, chairs, and small campsites. Only half of the fifty odd beds were occupied. The captain had led them to one of the small smokeless fires, and after Trin had embraced other familiar faces and introductions had been completed, they shared their tales.

Trin had started from the beginning, telling of their departure from Sri Rosen, the battle with the pirates, and everything else they had endured. Siarra occasionally jumped in to provide details, and briefly took over when they told of the council meeting where the elves had launched the gathering. It didn’t take long for every member of Captain Arrow’s command to join them, standing or sitting as they listened intently to the recent news.

Taryn also caught several things that bespoke the captain's leadership. Tall and broad shouldered, Captain Arrow looked remarkably like his brother. Older and more mature, he carried an air of strength and charisma despite the fatigue lining his face. His men also waited patiently, rather than mobbing the newcomers for news. Subtle glances and tilts of the head were all the captain needed to direct his men.

Taryn noticed that Trin was nearing the end so he focused on his friend as he described Siarra’s magic in the fire trap. Wrapping up, Trin leaned back in the makeshift chair and swept a hand out to his brother. Engrossed as Captain Arrow had been, he blinked and shook his head.

“I can hardly believe you survived, Trin,” the captain said.

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