Christopher Smith
Stories
12
Chapters
5,674
Words
153.4 K
Comments
0
Reading
12 h, 46 m
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I froze for a moment, letting the shiver that ran down my back settle. This woman had such a chilling presence that even behind a wall I quaked. "Allow me, Your Majesty! For Ensis!" I heard Casimir yell. I do not know what the foolish, albeit loyal, king's guard did next. What I do know is that I heard a painful cry. Followed by a yelp akin to the sound a dog makes when accidentally injured. The second sound was weak and faded slowly. It ended in a dry thud of flesh against the marble floor. Did I…-
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"Sir John! No. You don't know the way! This isn't wise!" Finley yelled as he chased after my uncle. Uncle John faded into the dark abyss of the tunnels moments before Finley. Waiting for them to return stretched from moments to minutes. With no sign of the two men returning, the rest of us sat in uncomfortable silence. "Did Sir John just drop my mother's title?" Alina asked in a quiet voice. Our tired company exchanged looks. "I noticed that too. It was unusual," Cali added. "Maybe it was a…
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28 •
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My company skirted along the edge of the forest. We walked the fine line between being out in the openness of the fields and hills surrounding the capital city and the encampments of the Norad's deeper in the brush. I knew that the tunnel Finley and I explored faced the fields on the back side of the city, opposite the main gate. I had very little knowledge of what this gate might look like from this side. In the last day or so I replayed my adventure with Finley in my head as much as I could. I…
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"She's gone! Like the archer from the parade," I called back to Holden and John. Her last words echoed in my ears. Carrion mounted his horse again and we regrouped with the others. "She told us to be careful who we find in the woods. Do you think there are other scouts?" I asked the two men more experienced in the art of war. "Possibly. But one thing is for sure. Someone knows we know the Norad's are here. It seems foolish to have tipped their hand, but I guess they are assuming six people on four…
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28 •
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I looked down at the girl that fell from the tree. The moonlight made the girl's skin look even more pale than its ghostly shade. Her dress was simple but puckered and bulged in strange ways. The garment clearly had a different owner at some point. Her hair was disheveled falling from a loose braid down her back. Even in the dim light I could tell it was some shade of brown. Her frame was so slight that if I were further from her, I could have mistaken her for a child. Everything about her made me want…
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Carrion threw the barn door open in a huff. The door opened with such force it almost came back to hit Carrion with the same swing. Luckily, the weight of the door slowed the swing, leaving it open. I followed with the horses in hand. Lord Holden met us outside with a confused look on his face. Having no idea what happened inside the barn, he was trying to reason what made the ladies so secretively gregarious as they stood away from everyone and would equally make Carrion fume. He looked at me for…
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"I guess that means we are all going. Cali, Sir Jacobson, can you two go prepare the other horses? Carrion and I will protect Alina and gather supplies," Lord Holden directed. I opened the door and followed Cali to the barn. I tried to calm my panic by grounding myself in the moment. I focused on my next step, then the barn. My next thoughts were on the task at hand. Cali and I would have to saddle the horses. We can do that. As Cali opened the door to the stable and our hands brushed each other. A…
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28 •
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Skirting behind the Norads at a safe distance, we made good time getting back to the manor house. Every so often Lord Holden would kneel to the ground. Cali and I would follow his lead, listening for any signs of danger. I admired Lord Holden's ability to keep such a brisk pace with almost silent footfalls. He was truly a man of great talents and we were learning from the best. At some point the Norads must have veered southward, missing my home for a second time. I could not begin to describe the…
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28 •
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Alina was in trouble! I should not have let myself be baited into training out here today. How did this happen? Why did my pride so easily win out when I was around Holden and Cali? Another wave of further disgust in myself flowed over me. I was going to have to admit Carrion was right. Again. Swords were too dangerous. Training far from our Princess was dangerous. Maybe his caution was not overkill. I shook my head, trying to shake off these thoughts. Maybe they found a different manor. The scout…
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"Halt!" Echoed in my ears, terrifying me to the core. I exhaled, trying to calm my nerves. My breath was visible in the frosted air. Almost as if the Autarch upset nature with her presence, making the sun shine less brightly and the air turn cold. I held my breath, trying not to give away my position. This could not be a long term solution, but it would work for now. The company of the Autarch stopped in their places at the command of their ruler. The discipline of these elite warriors seemed…
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