Page 78
Story: Blood & Steel
Thea glanced down, needing to look anywhere but at him. Why didshefeel like the fool? She had done nothing to be ashamed of, not truly, and yet her stomach roiled, as though she’d lost something she’d never had. But he’d wanted her too. She’d seen proof of that in the bathhouse. Even now, the tether of tension between them was taut.
Smoothing down her clothes, Thea composed herself as she met his gaze again. ‘Is that all?’
Something in Hawthorne’s expression softened. ‘Alchemist…’ His voice was low and gentle this time. He reached for her, his large, warm hand closing gently around her arm. ‘Althea…’ he murmured, as though there was so much more to say, but that her name alone captured it all.
Despite the words they’d exchanged, despite the tightness in her chest, Thea’s body betrayed her yet again, and she found herself arching into his touch, his warmth.
He would have made a lousy mentor, he’d made that much clear, but perhaps… Perhaps if she was apprenticed to anotherWarsword, it could give them the space to explore whatever this thing was between them. Maybe —
A whistle from the courtyard carved through the tension like a hot blade through butter.
Hawthorne sprung back from her, her arm cold where his hand had been.
‘We are in agreement then, Alchemist?’
Thea sucked in a sharp breath. ‘Yes,’ she told him, chest aching as she spoke the words. ‘We’re in agreement.’
To Thea’s surprise, the shieldbearer cohort was where she had left them.
Thankfully, there was no time for Cal and Kipp’s questions.
‘Enough gossiping,’ Esyllt’s commanding tone cut through their chatter. ‘You’ve each been assigned a group, and that group will be led by one of the Warswords. Learn all you can. And don’t piss them off with your whinging. You’re lucky to have them.’
The message was clear:they don’t want to be here.Don’t make it worse.Thea made a point of looking nowhere near Hawthorne.
The weapons master went on to read out names from a crinkled piece of parchment, and Thea hated how relieved she was to find herself with Kipp and Cal in her cohort. To her dismay, Seb and Lachin were as well.
‘You lot are with Torj,’ Esyllt shouted as the shieldbearers sprang into action.
With her friends, Thea pushed her way towards the towering Bear Slayer, his golden hair glinting in the dawn light spilling over the turrets. He eyed them warily.
‘Gods…’ he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Thea was used to disdain by now, so she ignored this and instead took the opportunity to survey the warrior before themmore closely. He didn’t wear his famous war hammer, only a longsword sheathed at his belt. But that mighty weapon was enough to mark him for what he was. She’d know the sheen of Naarvian steel anywhere.
‘Get yourselves together,’ Torj called. ‘We’re heading to the Bloodwoods for a training session. It’s time for some ranged weapons practice.’
‘Finally,’ Cal said.
‘If you wipe the floor with Seb, I’d be much obliged,’ Kipp added.
‘I’d pay to see that,’ Thea agreed.
Cal gave a mock bow as they made their way past the gatehouse. ‘Consider it done.’
Kipp turned to Thea next. ‘You going to tell us what all that was about before? Don’t tell us the Hand of Death has already chosen you?’
‘Not even close,’ she said.
The early morning sun barely penetrated the thick canopy of the Bloodwoods and thus, the dense forest was just as cold as the dungeons might have been. Thea cupped her hands together, trying to blow some warmth into her fingers. As they walked, she mulled over the Guild Master’s announcement and her mind drifted back to what Hawthorne had told her.
‘There are forces at work we do not understand… Things that threaten the peace the three kingdoms have fought so hard for… It creeps across the lands like a poison… A scourge of sorts, breaking through the Veil.’
Was that why the Warswords were remaining at Thezmarr? Was that why they were now suddenly involved in ‘shaping the warriors of the future’?
‘I feel that the era of peace is once more at an end. Thezmarrians need to be ready.’
Before long, they reached a familiar clearing in the Bloodwoods, but this time, Thea didn’t have to hide in the shadows. This time, Thea was one of the shieldbearers. That small victory was not lost on her.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78 (Reading here)
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182