On the Kinfe's Edge - Book 3

Chapter 3

         The sun had set and Kole sat by the fire, looking up at the moon. Hunter lay beside him, nose on his massive paws, snoring lightly in his sleep. Kole lit a stick on fire and waved it around in the air, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the screams of the village people whom Iskale had sacrificed himself for. He sat, almost entranced, in the dark. Suddenly, Hunter raised his head, staring out into the darkness beyond the firelight. It caught the half-breed’s attention and he looked up, dropped the charred wood back into the fire. Drawing his sword, he disappeared. Cloaked in magic, he scouted around the camp. The dog’s muzzle pulled back and he began to growl angrily. Hidden from sight, he sneaked behind a slender woman with long black hair. Curious, he reappeared, calling for her to turn around. The dog kept growling and he held out his hand to the animal to calm him. “Hunter. Quiet,” he scolded calmly.

         The woman slowly turned, her bright honey eyes, innocent and nervous. She reached out slowly, coaxing him to relax. He sheathed his blade and stood, tense. “Sir, what is your name?”

         Hesitantly, he answered. “Kole. My name is Kole.”

         Her eyes brightened, and she took his hand, still holding his gaze. “I have been alone for days, would it be too much to ask for you to keep me company?”

         Something about her eyes held him captive. He felt he could not look away and he would do anything to please her. “Of course. Who could refuse such a beautiful woman such as yourself?”

         “I am Azahria,” she whispered, leaning close to his ear. He shuddered involuntarily. Azahria tilted her face and kissed him gently on the cheek, still holding his hand.

         On impulse, he reached around her, grasped her hair in his large hand, and kissed her mouth. He felt her smile against his lips and he deepened the kiss. He tightened his grip on her hair behind her head. “I want you, Azahria. I need you more than air.” He slid his other hand around her waist. Then he hesitated. Something told him he was making a mistake, but he could not figure out why. He had always been in love with Azahria and she finally came to him. It had felt like a lifetime that he had been alone, waiting for this woman.

         A gasp sounded from behind him. He hesitated and began to turn around. However, the woman grasped the back of his head and kissed him harder, more passionately. He felt his head swim and his heart pound harder. He was in a state of near ecstasy. He braced himself over her in the grass now, like he had been dreaming of doing for as long as he could remember. But another sound behind him distracted him until he met Azahria’s gaze again. His mind seemed to clear and he focused only on her.

         Arenn had woken up to see her husband wrapped around another woman in the dark. The dog had begun whimpering and had woken her. She was hurt and confused. When she gasped, he went to turn, but the woman held him tight and he ignored her again. How could he? Why would he do this to her? She knew she had not expected him to be a good husband, but this? They had hardly been married for more than a day. Her eyes felt hot, and her throat burned and felt raw with untempered emotion. She reached under her dress, pulling out the hunting knife Gammir had made for her when Dane had been training maids during Fallon’s campaign. The woman looked at her as Kole kissed her deeply. Her eyes. There was something about the woman’s eyes that turned her stomach. Arenn stopped watching Kole and focused on the woman’s honey brown eyes. Then it clicked. The young woman raised her knife, realizing that the one her husband was with was an enchantress. “Kole,” she said calmly. “Kole, turn around.”

         The big man tensed up and looked anxious, even from behind. Arenn swallowed hard. Kole turned his face and caught sight of her. His face flushed and he slowly stood. “Woman, what business do you have with me?”

         His wife leaped at the enchantress with her knife in hand, but Kole knocked her out of the air with one quick movement. The girl landed on her feet and gritted her teeth. This sorceress would not have her husband. She called the dog to her and sent it after the woman, leaping at Kole as she did so. His eyes darted to Azahria and back to Arenn. “Chose, Kole,” she yelled at him. He reached out and grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck and tried to swat her from the air. Arenn, caught hold of his hand and stabbed his shoulder with her knife. It dug in deep and tears filled her eyes as the blood seeped out and dripped down his arm. He cursed loudly. She kicked against him, pulling the blade free, and tumbled to the ground. Without taking time to think, she swung her arm and caught the enchantress's leg with the edge of the knife. She yelped and tried to move back, away from the woman she had obviously underestimated. Kole growled in fury and unsheathed his own blade. But Hunter was agitated and fought to protect the man’s wife. He arched his back, wriggling until he could turn his head. His teeth bared, he clamped down on Kole’s arm with an iron grip. Arenn tackled the witch and forced her arm down. The sorceress caught her hand holding the knife, now above her, and struggled to keep it away from her face. Arenn thought she would crack her own teeth with the strain. In a desperate attempt to overpower the other woman, she let go of the knife with one hand and slapped her opponent hard across the face. Stunned, the woman relented just enough and Kole’s wife forced the knife into the enchantress's face. She stabbed a few times before the adrenaline began to wane. The dog was still growling, and she recalled it as she fell to the dirt, shaking and staring at what she had just done. Her eyes were wide and fearful. She turned slowly to Kole.

         He shook his head and held it for a moment before looking at her as if seeing her for the first time that night. “Arenn? Are you okay? What happened?” He saw the dead woman on the ground next to her, knife still protruding from her head and stopped. “Did I do that?”

         She shook her head in a daze. “I did. I… I killed her. I did it…” Her voice trembled uncontrollably like her body. Kole could tell she was in shock. He fell to his knees in front of her and lifted her in his arms. Walking to the water, he sat her on the edge and splashed water on her face before hugging her tightly. Her sobs broke loose, her entire body shaking violently. “I thought I had lost you. She was taking you. The only chance I had… was to… kill her…” She choked out the last part. She looked into his eyes, haunted. “I killed someone, Kole.” Looking at her hands she began to cry even harder, her stomach churning and her tongue tasting bile. Blood covered her hands and arms.

         Kole could see the spatters across her tunic and face. Looking back at the body in the grass, his heart twisted. He thought over his wife’s words. “What do you mean she was taking me?”

         Arenn stared at him. “She was an enchantress.”

         His face paled when he realized what his sweet wife must have woken up to. He began to sweat. Putting his head in his hands, he finally felt the pain in his shoulder and his arm. He glanced down to see blood pouring from a knife wound near his neck and large teeth marks on his forearm. “What happened? Did I hurt you?”

         The small woman sniffed and tried to stop her tears. “I stabbed you and Hunter attacked you to protect me. It was the only way I could get past you. I’m so sorry. I stabbed you.” She began crying harder with this confession.

         Despite her sobs, Kole could not help but let out a laugh. It was so out of place, she jumped. She had never heard him genuinely laugh before. It stopped her instantly and she scrunched her face in confusion. “You stabbed me.” He laughed harder. She worried he had lost his mind. “I was enchanted and you stabbed me to save my life.” She could not understand his laughter. “I love you so much. I told Dane you scare me sometimes. This is a perfect example of why. You are not afraid to hurt me for my own good.” As his laughter died down, his face became more serious. “Arenn, I’m sorry. You never should have had to be in that situation. Even though I do not remember what happened, I should have been the one protecting you and not the other way around.”
         Somehow his wife found this oddly comforting and humorous. “Even Calya had to save Fallon more than once. And she did not even like him at the time.” She laughed and suddenly, he joined in. As the tension melted away, the woman tried to calm her nerves. She caught sight of the woman again and shuddered.

         Kole took her in his arms and walked away. “We aren’t staying here tonight.”

         Hunter whimpered and lay down in the tall grass. None of them had slept all night. The dog had stayed awake, on high alert, from the time the enchantress showed up, until after dawn. He was tired and Arenn was dozing in the saddle. Since they could not sleep, they had decided to ride to make up time. Kole called his wife’s name to get her attention and pulled his steed around to a stop. He dismounted and helped her down. He unbridled the horses as she looked for some food in their saddle bags and drank some water. He let the horses graze in their saddles and sat under a tree, his hound laying next to him. Arenn joined him with the food and a canteen. He accepted it from her outstretched hand and took a few gulps before setting it down. The young woman sat beside her husband and shared what food she had. They ate quietly, looking out at the bright landscape. The breeze blew lightly, making the grass move as if it was weaving in and out of itself. The leaves danced on the branches and the flowers waved as if in silent greeting. Birds sang in the trees and Hunter had begun lightly snoring on the ground.

         Kole closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the trunk. He felt Arenn shift beside him and glanced down to see her head drooping and her breathing coming in a slow, rhythmic cadence. Gently, he adjusted her to sleep on his lap and smiled. It was a good smile- a real smile. This was his wife, and here was his hunting dog, and around them was open land as far as the eye could see. The horses grazed happily and they were all free. He had no one to serve other than his wife. He had no one to kill other than in self-defense, and only in an emergency. He released a deep sigh and shut his eyes again, allowing himself to relax for the first time in years.

         When Kole opened his eyes next, Arenn was still sleeping on his lap and the sun showed it was late afternoon. One horse stood, grazing to his left. It was Arenn’s. He looked around for his, but it was gone. The man groaned inwardly and slowly, carefully, moved out from under the woman’s head. He made a sound to the dog and called him over. Hunter lay under the woman’s head and put his head on his large front paws, watching Kole with sharp eyes. “Keep her safe, Hunter.” He whispered to the dog as he patted his head and scratched behind the hound’s ear. The dog licked his owner’s hand and kept watch.

         Kole moved away, glancing back nervously more than a few times to watch Arenn sleeping. Soon, he was out of sight. The hound tensed up and stared, looking around and then back in the direction the half-breed went. Eventually, he lay his head down again and let out a low whimper.

         The half-breed walked purposefully through the growth and shrubs, his eyes moving back and forth across the horizon, looking for his steed. He had found the hoof prints in the dirt and tracked the horse in this direction before the grass was too long. He checked for signs of passage every few yards, but it was as if the animal had vanished. He had been tracking since he was seven and he had rarely lost an animal. Yet now, his own mount was evading him. Running his hand through his hair, he stared out at the skyline before blowing air out through pursed lips and continuing on, his confusion and concern growing with each passing minute. They had been gone from Kezna all of a day and a half and already Kole was in trouble. This was ridiculous. Something did not feel right. The bearded man stopped and turned to head back. His heart had begun hammering against his ribs and his breathing had turned heavy. Something was wrong. With a gulp of air, he took off at a run, sprinting back to his wife.

         Fallon was arguing with Trayzer. “Go to bed, young prince.”

         “You only call me young prince when you are mad, daddy. I don’t want to go to bed!” The five year old whined as he sat on the floor in the middle of the hallway.

         “You have not seen me mad yet, Trayzer, and trust me, you never want to.” The king grabbed the boy’s arm and yanked him up off the floor.

         “Yes I do!”

         Fallon stopped and stared at him. “You do what?”

         “I do want to see you mad, daddy! Get mad!” The boy pulled his arm free and started jumping up and down.

         “No. When I get mad, people die.”

         Trayzer’s eyes widened. “Bad people or good people?”

         The father lowered himself to the floor and replied. “Mostly bad.”

         With a clap, the prince’s face lit up. “Then I really want to see you get mad.” He dragged out the word really so long, it almost made the king chuckle.”

         He contained himself and shook his head. “There are no bad people around.”

         Putting his hand to his chin, Trayzer thought about it. “The cook can be mean sometimes when he tells me I can’t have snacks. So he’s bad.”

         “We are not killing the cook. Your mother likes his food.”

         The boy stuck out his tongue and pouted. “When can I see you mad then?”

         “Hopefully never, my son.”

         Just then, Calya came around the corner in the hallway and spotted them talking. As she neared the two, she arched an eyebrow and stopped to lean one shoulder against the wall, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I thought daddy was putting you to bed, Trayzer. What have you two been discussing?”

         The prince ran over excitedly as his father quickly stood. “Killing people! Daddy is going to kill the cook for me!”

         The queen’s smile disappeared instantly. “He… you… what?”

         Fallon put his hands up defensively. “That is not what I said. I said no to killing the cook.”

         His wife crossed her arms disapprovingly. “Why was killing the cook even spoken of in the first place?”

         “Daddy said he kills people when he gets mad and that he kills bad people sometimes, and I told him the cook is bad and that means he has to kill him now. You can cook better food than the cook, momma! You don’t need him for his food!”

         The disappointment in Calya’s eyes made Fallon want to sink through the floor. “Time for bed!” he hollered uncomfortably and grabbed his son around the waist, throwing him over his shoulder and jogging to the boy’s room.

         Curious, the woman walked silently to the door and listened.

         Fallon’s voice was frustrated. “Why did you have to tell your mother that?”

         Trayzer must have looked mad. “She asked!”

         She heard a sigh from in the room and then her husband’s voice again. “Yes, but your mother does not like it when I talk about that.”

         “Why? I want to grow up to kill people, too, just like you!”

         Calya’s breath hitched and her chest ached. She covered her mouth as she continued to listen. “No. No you don’t. But next time, don’t tell your mama about our conversation. It upsets her and you don’t want mama to be sad, right?”

         A child’s growl sounded. “Fine” Then a shift of mood. “Wait. Daddy! Does that mean we will talk about killing the cook again?”

         “Goodnight, Trayzer. If you come out of bed, I’ll feed you to the cook.” Calya, chuckled despite herself.

         “The cook eats people?!” Trayzer’s voice squeaked.

         “Only children. Close your eyes.”

         Calya jumped back as the door swung open. Fallon’s face flushed with shame the moment he saw his wife had been listening. “Calya, I know I should not have said anything, but he said he wanted me to get mad and I told him no, and he asked why, and the conversation just happened.”

         She rolled her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. “He is so much like you, Fallon. He looks just like you and talks just like you. Sometimes it makes me anxious for when he gets older.”

         Her husband was at a loss for words. Not that he had nothing to say, but nothing he wanted to say seemed appropriate. “I am sorry, Cal. I can not change myself enough.”

         The queen placed a gentle hand on his arm and then hugged him. “I do not want or need you to change, Fallon. I just do not know how to parent someone just like you.”

         He nodded and took her hand in his. They began walking down the hallway when a sound caught their attention. Fallon turned his face to look over his shoulder. He saw Trayzer’s door open just a crack and he yelled behind him. “The cook is hungry tonight, Cal, is he not?” The door slammed shut again and the two monarchs shared a laugh before continuing down the hall.

         Stopping by the kitchen, they both requested a cup of tea. Dane seemed to appear out of nowhere as the two walked out onto a balcony. “My lord,” the guard greeted stiffly.

         “Speak, Dane,” Fallon replied cooly.

         “There has been some sort of disturbance just past our border.” Dane shifted uneasily as he spoke.

         The king stared at him, his annoyance beginning to appear. “I do hope that is not the only detail you can give me.”

         “No, sire. But the details do not make any sense.”

         The king cocked his head to the side and then nodded. “Okay. Continue. Just be blunt. I'd like to sort this out and be done with it.”

         Dane swallowed. “The disturbance is something no one can see. People have reported a strange feeling. Animals disappearing with no tracks left behind, no sounds, no signs of anything. Trackers cannot find their own hunting dogs, hunters are missing horses, farmers are missing livestock. There are no animal prints, no footprints. No animal has reacted to anything, no dogs have barked and no roosters have caused a ruckus. Citizens near the border in our lands have requested you to send someone to investigate before the same thing happens to them.

         Kole ran hard, breaths heaving, lungs burning from stress and fear. It seemed to take hours for him to finally find his way back to the tree. When he returned, the dog barked twice and then recognized him and began wagging his tail. Arenn stirred sleepily and stretched, yawning. Her horse walked over a few steps and nuzzled her face. The woman laughed and rubbed its nose before getting groggily to her feet.

         Gasping, the big man ran up to her and pulled her roughly into a tight embrace, as his heart thundered in his chest. “We have to leave,” he said as he moved back a step. I will bridle your horse. You eat something fast. Something is amiss here and we cannot stay.”

         Concern instantly creased Arenn’s face. “What happened, Kole?”

         “My horse is gone. There are no tracks. I do not know what has happened, but I expect sorcery is at work here. We can speak on the way. Please, hurry.” His voice was strained and full of something she had never heard before. Dread. They mounted, and Kole checked the position of the sun. It was preparing to set and he charted their course toward Ynhilay.

         Night fell and they rode quickly. The hound kept up with incredible stamina and speed. The couple rode together and Kole had updated Arenn on the events that happened while she slept. As the moon reached the peak of its arc, they spotted riders ahead. The half-breed slowed their mount and proceeded cautiously. There was something familiar about the group coming toward them. As they neared, he reined the horse in and stared in surprise. “It’s Fallon.”

         Arenn sounded confused and a little afraid. “But if that is his highness from that direction then that means we have headed back the way we came.”

         Kole gritted his teeth. “That’s not possible. We based our direction off of the sun and the moon and the stars.”

         The moon was nearly full and Kole raised an arm in greeting and to gain the king’s attention. Fallon slowed his troupe to a stop in front of Kole. “Is everything alright, brother? Why have you returned so soon?”

         Even in the dull moonlight, it was obvious that Kole’s face lost its color at the other man’s words. “I… I did not return. We are still on course to Ynhilay. I have been following the stars and sun.”

         Yet, even though Kole seemed confused, there was something haunted in his eyes. Fallon’s brows furrowed, coming together in deep thought and worry. “Kole, you passed the pond at the border a while back. We are on our way to the border now.”

         With a gasp, Arenn covered her mouth and her wide eyes stared at the king in horror. “But… we never passed the pond.”

         There was silence before Fallon spoke again. “Kole, where is your horse?”

         His face hot and full of embarrassment, the big man answered. “I do not know, Fallon.”

         That was all Fallon needed to hear to know that the reports from Dane were more serious than they sounded. The guard seemed to read his lord’s thoughts and came up beside him. “What do we do, my lord?”

         Gritting his teeth in aggravation at not knowing what to do, the king shook his head. “We continue on until we find where Kole and Areen last made camp. Then, we go from there.” He looked warily at his brother in arms in front of him. “Kole? Will you ride with me one more time?”

         Arenn felt her husband inhale sharply in the saddle. Then he glanced back at her, and the look in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. She swallowed hard as he turned back. “Yes, Fallon. We will find the culprit behind this.” The lord of Kezna caught the change in his expression and shifted uneasily. Dane also saw it and dropped his eyes in discomfort. With a tug on the reins, The young half-breed turned his horse around and led Fallon ahead toward where he had just come.
         The day was nearly ending when they came to the tree the couple had napped beneath. The group was on edge and their eyes darted around, looking for anything suspicious. Dane dismounted immediately, and found the prints of the missing horse, following on foot, leading his own mount behind him. He felt anxious when the landscape had suddenly become unfamiliar, even though they were still in recognizable territory from their previous travels with Fallon. The king also looked around uncertainly. His jaw tightened as his mind reeled from the inability to figure out where they were.

         Suddenly, Dane hollered and the others quickly joined him. “The tracks are gone. Kole,” he said, looking back. “Were you able to track him any further?”

         “I may have gotten a little further. The prints were a bit sporadic for a short way, but this is close to where I lost him as well.” The big bearded man remarked.

         The king dropped to the ground to check the grass as well. He shook his head and looked around before dragging his hand down his face and letting out a long breath. “Animals don’t just disappear…” his voice faded as his head whipped around. His eyes narrowed and he looked over his men carefully. “Did anyone feel that?”

         Kole and Dane nodded solemnly. The rest of the men just looked around nervously from their saddles. Dane stepped forward. There is sorcery at work. The chill in my bones confirms it.”

         Fallon stared in the direction they were tracking. “Kole, has anything happened to you two in the time since you left?”

         Arenn chimed in for the first time. “I killed an enchantress, my lord.” All of the men turned and looked at her in surprise.

         “That is definitely something. I am certain that is related to what has happened. This is magic. I can feel it when I breathe.” He nodded to his guard. “Dane, stay with Arenn and the rest of the men. Kole, you and Trayk will come with me.”

         An elf from the guards rode forward and nodded grimly. “Yes, my lord.”

         “What do you need me to do, Fallon?” Kole’s voice was deep, gruff, and filled with a resigned resentment.

         “We are going to hunt a wizard. The easiest way to do it is to have magic of our own. Trayk is a full blooded elf. He will take the lead on this. Hold back unless I tell you otherwise.” The monarch gauged his friend’s reaction by his expression, a dark feeling blossoming in his chest.

         Without another word, the three men left Arenn with the guards, sitting behind Dane on his horse. Kole, Fallon and Trayk rode away from the rest of the group and focused their elven magic, trying to feel out whatever wizard was manipulating their surroundings. He had to be nearby. Magic weakened long range, but it was dizzying in its intensity and all of them felt disoriented. Then they felt the sparks. They were not physical, visible sparks. They were sparks they felt in their minds and in their magic. It seemed to sear their very thoughts and make them uneasy. The men glanced at each other and each whispered, vanishing into seemingly thin air with their mounts. They split up, staying within sight and earshot of one another. A suffocating heat washed over Kole and he choked on it. His concentration on his magic wavered as he struggled to keep it intact. Gasping, his veil fell and he reappeared, clutching his throat and leaning low over his horse’s neck. Trayk spurred his horse over and Also let his magic drop away. Fallon followed suit and pulled out his bow, notching an arrow and searching for a target.

         A low voice came on the wind. “You think you can kill my daughter and live?” Kole’s face was dripping with sweat as he clawed at his neck and gritted his teeth. His face was a dark red and his hair was sticking to his forehead.

         The elf’s blood ran cold as he realized why Kole was targeted. The wizard was convinced that Kole took the enchantress’ life. And the man would never put his wife in danger by admitting the truth. “How do you know it was not me?” the man said confidently. A dreadful heat washed over him as well, but instead of suffocating him, it clashed with his own magic and faltered. “How can you be sure, wizard?”
         The pressure on Kole lessened slightly, and he tried to gasp for breath, his knuckles white as he gripped the horn of his saddle. “Elf, how dare you question me?”

         A laugh escaped the elf’s lips as he looked around. “You think a half-breed who cannot even fight your magic even slightly could resist and even overpower your daughter?” The ice in his veins seemed to become even colder. And he began to sweat.

         Suddenly, the half-breed beside him took a deep breath and coughed desperately. Trayk closed his eyes. “Fight me, you coward. Do not take your anger out on these weaklings just so you can win. I do not fear you.”

         A thick fog rolled over the long grass, surrounding them all. Kole lifted his head, grimacing, his face still dripping and his hands clutching the saddle. A dark figure appeared in the mist, the height at least six feet or taller. He approached out of the fog and slowed, staring at the men, narrowing his eyes at Kole before turning his gaze to Trayk. “So you can combat my magic. Impressive. But that was not even close to what I am capable of.”

         The elf glared at the man before him. He was middle aged, had dark brown hair and a goatee. He had piercing blue eyes and looked to have strong arms and hands. In his left hand, he held a staff and wore rings on five fingers- three on one hand and two on the other. He wore a dark red robe and his hair was tied back into a ponytail. He swung his staff around and the wind blew so hard, the horses began to panic. Without a word, all three riders dismounted and let their steeds flee. The elf looked up again. “Your daughter deserved what happened. And you deserve the same.” He steeled himself and stared the other man down.

         Kole had recovered and was standing, tall and imposing, off to the side, observing. One thing he had learned in the past three years was that what he had been taught by Ventris was not the extent of what he could do. Certain elves could master certain magics that they naturally connected with. Habbi was a magic healer, not simply because he was an elf, but because he had been born with a propensity toward healing. Kole had found that he was born with an ability to make a decision about how to handle a situation without knowing what would happen. When honed, he could mostly predict a second or so ahead. This ability, he eventually realized, was the reason he had been the only one to return with Fallon. Half-breeds having a tendency toward these more intuitive magics was not as common, but then neither was a person like Kole. He watched the interaction and focused his magic, muttering under his breath. “See if you can kill us with this.”

         The wizard’s head whipped around, the tendrils of the other man’s magic catching him off guard. Fallon saw the change and notched another arrow, letting it loose. The wizard shattered it against his staff, his head not even turning. The king ground his teeth. Using his gift against a man this powerful was dangerous. He was not a normal foe, and the amount of energy and magic it would require would be immense, if he could even touch him. If he could avoid doing so, he would. Trayk ran forward, his sword in hand, disappearing into the fog like a wraith. The wizard turned, following him with his eyes as if the elf was not cloaked in magic. Vines of magic coiled up around the man’s legs as he ran, slowing him, despite his own combative magic.

         Arenn’s ears picked up the sound of frightened horses and she looked across the grass with the other men. Some distance away Fallon, Kole, and Trayk’s horse came cantering and trotting back from the direction the men had gone. “No… Kole.” Her grip on Dane’s waist tightened as his own horse danced in place nervously. “Dane,we must go to them.”

         “My lady, it is not safe. I was ordered to keep you safe. We must stay here.” The guard spoke over his shoulder.

         “What a shame you trained me to not be a coward,” the small woman said as she shoved against his back, dropping off the rump of his horse. She ran to her own horse, and as the steed trotted over, she grabbed his mane and swung herself nimbly into the saddle, whistling for Hunter to go with her. “I’m not leaving my husband. I am no longer a citizen of Kezna and Fallon is no longer my king. You cannot charge me with anything,” she yelled back as she dug in her heels and pulled the mount around, galloping off, back the way the horse had come. She rode low over her mount's neck, the dog trailing a bit behind, laboring to keep up. When she approached a wall of fog, the animal slowed and began sidestepping nervously, refusing to go any nearer. “He’s in there, isn’t he?” She fought to keep the horse steady under her, but its eyes rolled back, and its mouth foamed and it panicked as it pulled at the bit. Arenn dropped out of the saddle to the dirt, letting the horse leave again, and calling the dog to her quietly. The big hound came to her, crouching low, a soft whimper escaping from its muzzle. “Come on, Hunter, I need you, big puppy. Kole needs you.”

         His ears perked up, but his whimpering continued. The fog in front of them was not normal. It swirled unnaturally and was so thick she could see nothing where the solid wall of it began.

         Kole had donned the metal backed gauntlets that Gammir and Fallon had gifted him at the beginning of his and Arenn’s journey. And he always had some angelfire with him to remind him of what his life had cost. The small pouch of powdered gems was tied to his waist. He slowly, silently, retrieved the bag and loosened the string, all the while watching the battle unfold before him. He had been slowly inching nearer to the wizard, using small amounts of his magic to hide his progress so as to not draw the other’s attention. In his mind’s eye, he saw the wizard distracted by something outside the fog. In a sudden frenzy, Kole grabbed a flint from a pouch on his belt and, gritting his teeth, ground it hard against the metal on the back of his hand. Jarring pain shot up his arm as the metal sparked. At the same moment, he released the gem dust in the direction of the wizard. As he had predicted, his prey had been distracted and had looked toward the fog. Trayk lay on the ground a few feet away, having failed to get a hit on the man. And yet, Kole was about to surprise the scum with his own man-made sorcery.

         As the dust reached the wizard, the spark lit up the air, traveling through the floating dust like lighting. The entire space between him and the wizard went aflame as if from the mouth of a dragon. Kole fell back, his arms and gauntlets seared.

         Arenn saw a giant light burn through the fog and it dissipated a significant amount. A ball of fire. She gasped and shielded herself on instinct, closing her eyes. The dog beside her growled, its muzzle pulling back to show its enormous teeth. Its hackles raised along it back and it now stood in front of the young woman. Arenn herself had pulled out her blade from its sheath on her thigh and now crouched and ready for anything. Or so she thought.

         The wizard felt the heat an instant before his face was engulfed. A scream tore from his throat as his facial hair and all was set ablaze. He clawed at his face, ceasing the assault on Trayk. His grip on the staff was weakened, and Kole took advantage. He launched himself forward and wrapped his fingers around the finely polished wood. Runes began to glow, and the skin on his hand burned, wisps of smoke rising up from his fingers. Fallon let another arrow fly and hit the wizard in the back of his calf. The sorcerer let out another scream as blood began oozing from the wound and his clothes burned. Trayk struggled to his feet and stared in shock. Did Kole even need his help in the first place? Fallon, let loose another arrow that struck the man in the back of his kneecap. However, even with the pain and flames, the wizard was able to begin putting out the fire while still wrestling to keep hold of his staff. Kole tightened his jaw and growled in pain and exertion and his fingers burned and he wrenched the weapon from the other’s hands. Before his opponent could recover, he landed a fist into the sorcerer's face.

         Arenn heard a loud crunch and watched as the wizard’s hands went to his face. She watched as Kole flung more powder onto the man, causing the flames to blaze anew. Ignoring his own safety, her husband landed another fist into the enemy’s ribs, causing another crack to echo. The woman heard the screams and she silently stared in horror at the scene before her.

         Kole felt the man’s nose break and then his ribs. He laughed maniacly as he grabbed the other’s throat. Ignoring the fire licking at his arms and hands, he lifted the wizard off the ground, crushing his windpipe. “How dare you send your daughter after me and then come after us yourself when she failed.” The half-breed glared into the other’s terror stricken eyes. “You want to know who killed your daughter? It was my wife, you filthy bastard. And now you will follow her.” Throwing the man down, He stomped on the wizard's shoulder, shattering it.

         Trayk went to intervene, but Fallon held out a hand, shaking his head. He had seen Kole like this before and he would never allow someone else to get in his way. The king watched with sorrow as Kole almost instantly reverted back to the very person he was fighting so hard to escape. He could not blame him, though. He was defending his wife now, and even Fallon would act the same to save Calya if the roles were reversed.

         Arenn, however, had never seen this side of Kole. She had heard the stories, of course, but seeing it was entirely different. She gaped as he continued. The man placed the tip of his sword onto the burning man's chest and twisted it around, ignoring the melting flesh and the agonizing screams coming from the other’s scorched throat. As he spun the sword, he applied more and more pressure, watching as it slowly sunk into the wizard’s chest before piercing an organ. The shrieks were nightmare inducing. And before the antagonist died, Kole pulled his blade free and severed the man’s head from his body. Then suddenly, a high, terrified screech pulled Kole’s attention from the still burning corpse below him. His eyes darted around until they fell on his pitiful wife, crouched in the grass, her face white, her mouth still open, and her hands shaking. As if coming out of a trance, the half-breed looked around at Trayk and Fallon before finally looking down at himself. His skin and clothing were burned and blackened and he was covered in the splatters of another man’s blood. He was immediately filled with a deep seated shame and embarrassment.

         But then Fallon’s voice cut through the tension. “Trayk, get rid of this body. Put out the flames and deal with him. We still need to find the animals if possible. If we cannot find them, we have to, at the very least, find out what he did with them.” He walked over to Kole and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You saved us today. You saved us and who knows how many other people including Arenn.”

         Kole’s haunted eyes met Fallon’s. “I did it again, Fallon. Will I ever be able to escape who I have become?” The king said nothing, but looked toward the woman in the grass as he heard more horses approaching. Dane was in the front of the group and the moment he saw the scene and saw Arenn’s shaking form, he knew exactly what had happened.

         The younger half-breed slowly, cautiously walked over to his wife as she stared, almost empty at him. “Arenn. I’m sorry. I dont…” He reached out for her, but she pulled away.

         “Don’t. Touch. Me,” she said with a hiss. She fell back onto her butt in the grass as the dog moved between the two whimpering.

         He also pulled back, unsure of how to respond. The one he loved more than life itself had rejected him because of who he had become. Was he so vile and repulsive? He looked at himself again and heaved a great sigh of regret. Of course he was. He had always been, she was just caught up in a fantasy of love. Now she saw who he really was. Without a word, he spun on his heel and left her there, watching his back. A moment later, he heard her sobs begin; great, heaving, gutwrenching sobs. He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the sound.

         “Why?! Why, Kole?” Her voice was raw and distraught.

         “I’m sorry,” he said brokenly.

         “Answer me,” she commanded, the words grating through clenched teeth. Even Fallon stiffened at her words. The similarities between what was playing out before him and the night he killed Hannon were so similar he was rooted in place.

         “I… cannot. Any answer I give will only upset you further.” Kole was defeated.

         “Answer me, Kole.” Her voice was softer now, but harsh, nonetheless. Her tear streaked face was still wet with fresh droplets still falling.

         “I was angry. And he was cocky. And eventually he would have come for you. He made other people suffer and had to pay for it. Is that what you wanted to hear?” His voice was raised now. His own self-loathing pouring out onto her.

         “No. But I deserved a real answer. Not a cop out.” The words barely made it out of her mouth before she got to her feet and walked away.

         Kole began following, but Fallon held him back. “Let her go. She is angry and needs to be alone. If you go now, it will only make things worse.” He saw the conflict in his friend’s eyes and wished things had turned out differently, but there was nothing that could be done now. “Come with me. We still have to find out what happened to the missing animals. Otherwise, my people will never forgive me.” Nodding slowly, the other half-breed agreed and he and Trayk began talking over the next steps.

         Four days of searching provided no results. The men were discouraged. Each day left the three soldiers more on edge than the one before. By the end of the fourth day, they met up with the guards at their camp.

         Fallon met Dane’s questioning gaze. “Nothing. There is no trace of them. We found no places where animals were buried. We will keep a lookout for a while and see if any other animals go missing, but for now, we can tell the people we have executed the criminal.”

         The soldier nodded and lifted his arm, calling the men to rise and break down their camp.

         Kole was standing behind the king, watching Arenn as she sat a ways away. He felt a pang in his heart. She looked at him, her eyes showing a mix of heavy emotions. The half-breed turned his head away in shame. He looked up as a hand rested on his shoulder. Fallon spoke quietly in his ear. “She loves you. Don't make her regret it. She won't hold a grudge, Kole.”

         A moment later, the king mounted his horse and rode off with the others nodding toward Kole when he met Arenn's eyes. She looked solemn as she inclined her head, looking back toward her husband. Kole watched as they rode away and then awkwardly made his way over to his wife. He stood silently, looking anywhere but at her.

         “Arenn, I am sorry you had to see what happened during that confrontation.” He stated sullenly.

         She cocked her head, looking amused and disappointed. “So you are not sorry you did it. You are sorry I saw you do it.”

         He squared his shoulders and held her gaze. “No. I am not, Arenn. This is the man you married. Am I proud of it? Not entirely, but do I wish I did differently? No. I wish you did not see it, but you know what type of man I am and what I had no issue doing. Men do not change so quickly. I do not expect you to accept it. I am not the gentleman you wish I was. And eventually I might change, it is not now. Will you stay with me? Or do you want to leave? I will never keep you if you want to walk away.”

         She seemed to ponder this, her eyes narrowing. “You are right, Kole. I did know that about you. I guess I assumed in fleeing your demons, you were not going to invite them to come with us.”

         That last statement stabbed at him. Though she said it gently enough. This woman was so kind and happy and sweet. Now, she said all the things that tore him to shreds. But none of it was false. Everything she spoke was the truth. “Then leave if you want. My nightmares apparently keep me company enough.”

         “I did not think you were this pathetic. To think you would not even fight to keep your wife from leaving. I married you for you. But I did not marry your baggage, so if you want your wife, you are going to have to learn some self-control."

         Kole's mouth tipped up in an ironic smile. “No one should have left you with her highness for two years. You sound just like her.” He saw her frustration crack slightly. “I will do my best, Arenn. I promise.”

         She gave him a small smile. “Then we are fine.”