The Past Lies Ahead (A Throne Of Glass Fanfic)

Chapter 21

The rain poured down, slamming hard against the small windows high up on the walls. A large table was situated in the middle of the room with various maps of the city and surrounding areas covering it's surface. Ren motioned to the map, and pointed out several spots.

«This area right here needs to be clear of the kings men. It will be the escape route for the two warriors whose objective is to blow up the clock tower. And as they will be using hellfire they can't waste any time fighting through a bunch of soldiers.» Ren pointed to three of the other group leaders. «You three, with your men, will stage distractions here, here and here,» he points to their designated locations on the map, «to draw attention away from the warriors with the hellfire.»

Last night he had been at Aelins apartment for hours going over this plan with the Princess and her commanders, mulling over every possible variation and how to either prepare for them or avoid them. He had to admit that even though the Princess was young, and not at all what he had expected her to be, she had a great mind for strategy.

Ren gestured to two of his men. «You will station your archers along the rooftops by the distraction sites, to give aerial assistance if there are too many for the men on the ground to handle.»

For the next few hours they went through all the details and everyone's roles and positions. This had to be executed with precision, or else they would likely all die. They would win, they had to.

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A mosquito landed on Manon's cheek in a foolish attempt to suck her blood. She smack it while muttering the foulest curses she could come up with. She tired to her bones, and she knew the rest of the thirteen were as well. They trudged slowly through the thick underbrush covering almost all of the Jungle of Morla, the cumbersome plants wrapping around any limb it touched making their trek through horrible.

They didn't know why or even how, but right as they flew into battle time had suddenly gone back a little more than two years. They had discussed it at length for days and days without really learning anything new. Their best guess was that Aelin and her court had some how done it.

Now they were out hunting for the Crochans, but not to kill them this time. No, they needed to find them and convince the scattered witches that the thirteen was not their enemies. Not anymore that is. Manon hoped to find her half sister, hoped maybe she would be willing to listen to what they had to say.

Manon flicked out her iron nails to hack away the underbrush, but it only resulted in her hand getting caught and tangled in the mesh of plants.

«Don't move! Move and you're all dead.» A voice commanded from above them, and Manon froze in place. «Foolish to venture here, Blackbeaks. You are surrounded.»

The witch's voice was familiar, she had heard it somewhere before. The thirteen kept as still as possible, none of then wished to be pumped full of arrows that were undoubtedly pointing at them from all directions. The Crochan witches in the trees were silent for a moment, probably silently communicating amongst eachother.

«Are you Manon Blackbeak?» the voice from above asked. Manon blinked. She did know that voice.

«Yes.» she answered curtly, still not moving an inch as the Crochan had ordered. She heard the bowstrings of several dozen bows tighten.

«Give us one reason not to kill you right here.» the familiar voice said coldly.

«I'm looking for my half sister, her name is Rhiannon. We are not here to fight or kill, we wish to speak peacefully.» Manon stated firmly, making sure all the Crochans in the trees could hear her.