“Please…don’t fight,” Elowen whispered, her eyes now looking downwards.
Edmund’s anger washed away as he looked back at my friend. Hendry quickly advanced toward Edmund, grabbing his arm and whispering, “Let’s go,” before they stalked off.
“What the fuck, Elowen?” Merrick exclaimed.
“I-I just—”
“Just what? Think one of those fucks is capable of empathy? He probably just wants to claim your body before he hangs you.”
“Shut up!” she cried, whipping her head up, revealing the tears pouring down her face before storming off.
“Real nice, Merrick.” Viola shook her head before following behind her.
Merrick and I stood in silence for a moment, his eyes glued to the fire, the flames before us reflecting in his eyes.
“I know you’re just looking out for her,” I consoled.
“You think he will stop to save her before she’s hung?” he strained. “Ask to take her place?”
I blinked.
“No,” he continued while clenching his fists. “He will offer her a small bit of kindness so he can sleep somewhat better at night or not feel as awful for aiding in the slaughter of our people. Fuck him,” he muttered before walking off.
I stood there alone. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. How was I supposed to save our people when I couldn’t even manage the conflict between my own friends?
I stepped forward and held my hands above the fire before me. Families were lying all around now in an attempt to get some sleep. Thankfully, the fires had gotten rather large, but there would unfortunately be plenty of people who still felt cold.
I decided it would be best for me to try and get some rest. As I went to sleep at the back of the masses of bodies, my body lying on its side on the cold ground beside Mother, I looked over to see Silas staring in my direction. Even though there was distance between us, I could swear we met eyes.
Are you still in there, Quill?
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sevendayshadpassedsince we departed from Ames, which meant we had eaten twice, save for the couple of times Edmund snuck over two pieces of bread, one for Elowen and one for Sari. He had done it while he and Hendry set up fires, and he offered me a genuine apology both times for only being able to sneak that much.
I was surprised by his words, but I was grateful he made the effort. Hendry just gave him a disapproving side-eye but didn’t attempt to tattle on him. Merrick still didn’t buy his “nice guy” act, as he called it, but part of me believed Edmund was a good man. Maybe even Hendry, too, for letting him try and help.
The path the Otacians had us on trailed through areas with fresh water, so thankfully, we had stayed mildly hydrated. Still, I felt weak and exhausted. And I knew my people did, too.
And filthy. We were covered in dirt from multiple days of sleeping on the ground, and we reeked. My hair was greasy, still in a braid from the week prior. Taking care of our bathroom needs was the worst of all, though with so many days without food, blessedly, the most I had to do was pee.
We were told that we had one more day until we reached Fort Laith, an Otacian outpost where soldiers could recoup and rest before the long way back home. There, we would stay in cramped prison cells until the march would resume. Supposedly, there were multiple rest stops that they had built over the years.
The fact an Otacian outpost was only eight days from Ames and I never knew it made me nauseous. I wondered how long it took Silas to figure out the best way to ambush us and the best routes to and from. How long had Ames been on his radar?
He had hardly looked at me during the past week. No words had been spoken between us…not like we could really speak about ourselves in front of others, anyway.
I watched ahead, Silas leading the way on his stallion, Roland on his left, and Rurik on his right.
Rurik was a complete prick, even compared to Roland, who at least seemed like he could hold his tongue…despite his moments of levity. Rurik had sworn at, berated, and taunted multiple of our women during this march. Surprisingly, he hadn’t attempted that with me yet. Probably because he knew I wouldn’t take his shit, as I had advocated for every woman he had harassed.
The final morning arrived, and we were walking yet again. I couldn’t believe I was looking forward to reaching our temporary prison. My legs ached terribly, and the exhaustion due to hunger pangs was begging me to collapse.
A decent amount of Silas’s men were mounted on horses; I assumed they were higher-ranked soldiers. And then there were a handful on foot, including Edmund and Hendry. Lucky for them, they would be able to relax and drink during this upcoming break while we looked forward to concrete floors.
Better than walking, I suppose.
Suddenly, the snapping of twigs was heard in the forest to our left. Rurik’s head turned in response. I so desperately wanted to grab the weapon from his hands and cut his neck open with it.
