Lovely Dark Things

TWENTY-NINE (ISELEN POV)

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Argyle said and his father nodded.

That's why we rode nonstop through forests and dark valleys, through mountain passes and along the edge of deep ravines, crossing frozen rivers, far away from the main road so the members of the House of Uthorin wouldn't know what was going on or that we knew their plan. We were able to travel fast because the soil was frozen and there was no mud, some snowflakes fell on our shoulders and there was hardly any light because of the dark clouds covering the sky but the path was clear. One week riding a horse feeling the cold wind sneaking under my thickest cape, tears filled my eyes and I shook like a leave but lowered my head, clenched my jaw and grabbed the reins hard because I didn't want to embarrass Ruby despite I felt I was about passing out.

Exhaustion... I'd never been so tired in my entire life. I flopped down on a rock and ate whatever she gave me quietly, wrapping up the cape around my body and fearing the moment I had to pull my pants down to pee because I my ass got exposed to the cold wind all the time. They pitched tents every night and I curled up next to my bodyguard on the ground covered by a couple of blankets, it was uncomfortable but, even so, I fell asleep immediately and it seemed that only a few minutes had passed instead of hours when Ruby shook my shoulder to wake me up... And I jumped again on the back of the horse after eating a chunk of cheese with bread and washing my face with a jug of cold water. I felt dirty, exhausted and depressed when we arrived to Kaldra.

But I was unable to lie down on a comfortable bed covered with soft blankets and have a warm bath as I was expecting because the northern fortress is just a small circular tower surrounded by walls that protect some simple wooden huts where soldiers live. Ruby's father took the only room with a fireplace at the top of the tower above the warehouse where weapons are kept while the rest of us had to pitch the tents again. I decided I didn't want to sleep on the hard ground, I couldn't bear it anymore, my entire body hurt and I wanted to cry but showing any weakness in front of dark elves was a bad idea so I gritted my teeth. I knew they had watched me during the entire trip waiting to see how I broke, they thought the poor and weak human who wasn't as strong as them was really funny but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction...

I ordered the soldiers of the garrison to go to the near forest to cut down some trees, forcing them to make rough wood planks and build platforms to pitch the tents of top of them. It took some hours of hard work and it wasn't the perfect solution but at least we'd be adequately insulated against cold. The first winter snow had melted even if they were waiting for a big storm the next days but there was enough left to gather some in a bucket and melt it with the witch fire, I was able to wash my body with a cloth finally and felt clean again, I slept hugging Ruby and really comfortably that night, feeling some precious heat.

Everything was all right till Sryne arrived with her troops: she'd picked out a different route to avoid giving clues to our enemies about what we were planning. She was kind to me in public and praised me for my idea of building platforms in order to keep the tents dry and hot but she climbed to the tower later and locked the door behind her, she was drawing up plans with the Captain and his children and I felt left out while wandering around between huts, soldiers who looked at me with curiosity and Brides of the God of War that ignored me. It was hailing when I reached the top of the wall to be able to take a look at the horizon, climbing up carefully since the stairs were slippery and I didn't want to fall and break my neck.

I didn't understand what my role there was, I knew Ruby had to fight for her family and support them because her life depended on the high status of her father, and I was supposed to follow my bodyguard to be able to stay alive in Baalberith. But I was an expert in military strategy, I'd studied hundreds of battles and could contribute with some good ideas: I should be in that meeting in the tower... The Assassin trusted me, I knew that, she valued my intelligence, her father had learnt to respect me and Argyle liked me... If I wasn't there, it was the Head of the God of War's Brides' fault... I shouldn't care, my main goal was to keep a low profile being useful to survive, the Captain of the Guard and his children had enough combat experience and they'd be able to fix that mess... There was no reason for me to get involved in it.