HBWnovel Chapter 39 - 39: Emotions and monsters ( XIX )
Chapter 39 - 39: Emotions and monsters ( XIX )
A group of fifteen soldiers riding on horseback could be seen in the middle of the night, moving along the path that leads from Glenwood to Winterseed. It was the darkest and calmest hours of the night and only the sound of their horses galloping could be heard across a wide radius.
Stanis was riding at the front, his eyes cold and reflecting the anger that boiled within him. "That damn fatso thinks he can order me around as he pleases. Very soon, I'll change all that and make that bastard pay for all the humiliations," he muttered angrily.
The soldiers riding beside him overheard his words and couldn't help but swallow hard. While they supported Stanis in his aim to overthrow Lord Fagin and become the new lord, they were aware that accomplishing this was almost impossible. Stanis would be going against the decree of the ancestors, which always bring deadly curses and bad luck.
In the past, five soldiers, much like Stanis, had thought highly of themselves and schemed to take over the rulership of Glenwood from the Lord of their time. Nevertheless, they all met dark ends after succeeding in their schemes, two died two years after from a deadly disease, one was mauled to death by a bear, and two were r*ped and killed by hobgoblins.
Nevertheless, despite knowing all of this, none of the soldiers dared speak to Stanis. They feared that, in his current state of anger, he might cripple anyone who dared contradict him.
Stanis continued riding, muttering to himself as they pressed forward.
"Halt..." Stanis suddenly commanded after they reached a certain point. He brought his horse to a stop and instructed the others to do the same.
He dismounted and tied the reins to a sturdy tree nearby. The night air was cool, and the surrounding forest seemed to close in, with darkness thick and almost palpable.
Stanis glanced around at his men, his cold eyes scanning each of them as they dismounted and secured their horses to the nearby trees.
"We go on foot from here," he said, his voice low and commanding. "We can't afford to draw any unwanted attention or suspicions from Winterseed before the war."
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. Doubt flickered in their minds, but none dared to voice it. They had heard tales of the dangers lurking in the forests at night—wild beasts, goblins, and other monstrosities that ruled the night. Traveling on foot seemed like a gamble with death itself. But they were helpless and could only obey his command without reporting.
Stanis, seeing their compliance, gave a curt nod. "Good. Stay close and keep your eyes sharp. We have a long way to go, and the night is unforgiving to the careless."
With that, he turned and began to lead the way down the narrow, overgrown path that wound closer to Winterseed. The soldiers followed, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of leaves and pine needles underfoot.
After walking cautiously for about two hours, they finally spotted Winterseed village from afar.
Sadly, the thick forest and bush ended there. Any further step they took would reveal their location to the soldiers guarding the border. Thus, they could not move any further and could only try to spy from that distance, which was almost impossible.
Nevertheless, Stanis brought out a strange object from his pocket, which had a cylindrical shape with glass attached to both ends. If Rowan or anyone from Earth were here, they would recognize it as a spyglass, mostly used by pirates in the 18th century.
Stanis squatted and proceeded to use the spyglass, which made the village appear four times closer.
With the dim glow of the moonlight and magnification from the spyglass, he could see a group of more than ten soldiers guarding the border. He could also see a few huts beyond the border. He tilted the spyglass in other directions in
A deep frown quickly formed on Judus's face as the sound reached his ears.
"What are they doing here?" he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with panic, shock, and fear.
The two soldiers with him turned, casting puzzled looks his way, having caught the distress in his whispered words. Judus quickly waved his hands dismissively. "Don't mind me; I was just recalling something," he said, forcing a casual tone. The soldiers, though still curious, returned their focus to their watch.
'Shit, that's the signal Stanis told me and the captain about. It can only mean he's nearby, but why is he here so soon? Is there an army with him?' Judus's thoughts raced as he panicked.
'The captain is with Lord Rowan and can't be disturbed, which means I have to deal with this myself—and immediately. Knowing Stanis, he might lose it and slaughter everyone just to get to me.'
"Guys, you've been working hard since morning and you look really tired, why don't you guys go to sleep? I should take your place and watch instead while you guys rest, remember tomorrow there will be a lot of work to do."
After a few minutes of pondering, Judus went to his colleagues and said with a smile.
The two of them looked at him strangely for a few minutes as Judus wasn't the type of person who usually volunteers to help others.
Nevertheless they finally agreed and left since they were already feeling sluggish and sleepy.
After they left, Judus let out a loud sigh of relief.
He waited a few minutes before sneaking towards the forest area, running with all his might to make it there before anyone sees him.
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AUTHOR NOTE: 2nd Chapter for today! 3rd coming in 3...2...1