FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls

Northern Netherwood, Netherlands

TEVERIUS

“To Hell with the mission.” Teverius snarled to himself as he paced his tree hut. Walking the short floor as he considered it.

I’ve never refused the Captain’s orders. He’d no desire to now.

But the image of her walking and laughing with Luca in Greenway Village was locked in his mind. How protective Luca had been of the table Serdephe had danced on. Prepared to let no other man near her. It was nearly too much to take.

Teverius was chastising himself. I should’ve never thought we were building something. She’s young and beautiful and she met an attractive young man.

I was a fool to expect her to wait for me. He envisioned her turning to look at him. Purple hair stark in morning sunlight as she peered over her shoulder with those lovely teal eyes. So heavily lashed as they marked her high distinctive cheekbones.

He wished he’d never left her but knew he wouldn’t have felt whole without finding Raese. What choice did I have?

She causes me more pain than I’d ever have imagined. He wanted to hammer his forehead against a solid surface.

He recalled one of the first times he’d caught her hunting in the dark. Without me.

She’d walked hesitantly through the dark. Tilting her head as she listened carefully.

He’d walked through the woods behind her as the white panther. Worried something would happen to her.

Wondering what in Ardae she was doing in the Northern Netherwood alone at night. The NetherFey were active glowing in neon flashes as they drew near her. Scenting her human sweat.

She’d been freckled and gangly then, a hapless creature lacking any remnant of the warrior’s grace she now possessed. When she’d knelt carefully to the ground, sifted dirt, and sniffed at her fingertips, he’d realized she was tracking something.

Stepping behind her, he’d looked to the ground and saw the unique six-toed track of a Cimmerii Noni.

Radix’s minion. He followed her for only a little way more before she stumbled across the black-skinned creature. Serdephe had squealed delightedly. Drawing its attention.

When he’d leapt into action to try and cut her off, she’d sped up to an inhuman run and dived on the thing. Gripping it in her bare hands she’d held one small hand around the thing’s snout. Locking it closed. Her arm had encircled around the front of it. Both locking its flap there closed so it couldn’t scream to the others. And strangling it. She held on it as it flailed trying to buck her off.

But she’d hung on determinedly until the creature had subsided and collapsed. And Teverius had realized how brilliant the strategy had been.

She’d expertly dealt with the creature in such a way that Radix would’ve been unable to see how she attacked it or what happened to it. Since she’d attacked it from behind.

Well done. That was how he’d first learned what she was.

And realized she needed to be protected. His jaw tightened, and he slammed his fist into the palm of the other hand.

I should’ve told the Captain then what she was. But instead he’d considered how best to look after her. Mere days later she’d said she wanted to have a wolf just like him when she was grown.

And I gave her my Demon Dogs.

Teverius was more restless tonight than usual. Despite that the Forever Knights were insomniac’s by design, some rest was still required.

We need little sleep so we can better watch our backs. He lay on his cot. Dreams fitful.

Haunted by Serdephe hunting. Moving gracefully barefoot through the woods. Steps soundless. A slight breeze stirred the branches making her pause to twist her head to catch the noises beyond nature.

Cimmerii.

Her body relaxed as she realized it was nothing. Then she jerked and pulled a bow from her back. Drawing an arrow and affectionately kissing the tip. She set the arrow and drew back the bow. Holding her pose, arm taut.

She knows how to use it. That was obvious from her expert stance.

When a creature shuffled into view, sniffing the air here and there, she released the bow and the arrow buzzed through the air. Steady and sure.

Finding its target.