HBWnovel Chapter 39: Emotions and monsters ( XIX )
Chapter 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
AUTHOR NOTE: 2nd Chapter for today! 3rd coming in 3...2...1