Page 66 of A Curse So Vile

He’d assumed so many things about those who’d dwelled to the west, but what he hadn’t expected was that they’d be so similar to those of the Heartlands. Their love for each other was no different, and neither was their pride or honor. This rang true for even the people of the Den, who were not entirely human.

“You think that coming with us makes you brave, Heartlander?”

Cole looked over to see an aged man, dark of hair, silver of eye. There were six Denithians total making the trip, and though Cole had been walking with them for two days, they were still suspicious of him.

“No more so than you,” he replied curtly.

“Not brave then,” the man snickered. “Just stupid.”

Soon after Cole’s talk with Orrick, he gathered his best men and announced his plan to sneak into Ossory, saying it was to reclaim Brenna, and hopefully, avert war. Without question, they obeyed, and now they marched.

When Cole didn’t respond to the man’s jab, he scowled. “Brenna is not your business. You belong back with yer sister, at the Den, or better yet, the Heartlands.”

“Brenna is more my business than yours.”

“She ain’t yer kin, boy!”

“And yet she saw me fit to confide in me, which is more than what can be said for anyone of the Den.”

The man’s face scrunched in anger. “What did she have to say to you?”

A giant white wolf stepped between them, baring its teeth at the man. Cole had seen several milling around the Denithians, all seemingly gentle as doves.

Until now.

“Calm down, Icaries,” the man said. “We’ll get your sister back.”

“Sister?”

“The wolves are our kin, and Brenna’s seems to have taken to you. I guess he’s as thick-headed as she is.”

Cole snickered. “Perhaps you could learn something from him. Instead of picking fights with your allies, it would serve you better to tell me what we’re going up against. Their numbers, how to best them.”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to battle,” the man said, “but it’s hard to know with what little information we’ve been given.”

“Are the Ossorians great in number?”

“There are about five Denithian to every Ossorian, but don’t let their slim numbers fool you. They’re enormous, and brutal in battle.” The man regarded Cole with a hair more respect than he had before. “The name’s Cassius, and I’m sorry for being cross. It’s been a long time since the Ossorians have been a problem.”

Cole knew better than to reveal what he knew of Brenna and her blood, though he wasn’t entirely sure secrecy was smart.

“How long until we’re at Ossory?”

Cassius snickered. “We have to be in their land by now. If I didn’t have this infuriating dampener on, I’d probably be able to smell them. Hopefully, they can’t smell us.” Cassius stopped, his muscles tensing.

Cole stared deep into the forest, trying to decide if the red flickers were eyes or some foreign bug.

He didn’t know which was worse.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Cassius whispered. “Are you tired, boy?”

Cole grabbed his ax from his belt and stood ready, because while he wasn’t tired, something felt off.

“You won’t be needing that.” Orrick’s voice came out of nowhere.

“What are we doing out here, exactly?” Cassius asked. “What do they want with Brenna?”

“Circle up!” Orrick shouted, his face grim and full of foreboding.