Whisper of Blade | ✓ (Crimson #1)

Chapter 22: Kill or Be Killed

848 A.G.M.

12 years before

Minerva shivered in the night air. Puffs of breath misted from her mouth as she jogged to keep up with Arsen and his longer legs.

Trees towered all around them like giant battlements, their half-exposed roots snaking across the ground. The Terron's silent sentries.

I'm safe. The trees won't hurt me. Or so she hoped.

When leaves rustled over her head, Minerva's heart palpitated. She hoped Arsen had been joking about the trees having voices and eating people by trapping them in their trunks.

"This forest is a giant Terron graveyard," the man had told her that morning as they set up their small camp in its shadow.

"I thought ..." Minerva ducked her head and worked on cleaning her bowl out with sand. I shouldn't disagree with elders.

Arsen laughed and ruffled her hair. The general called him his right-hand man. Besides being the only Muran in Matsudo's personal guard, Arsen held a reputation for being the best scout and pyrotechnic. Whatever that job meant. "Thinking is good. Say what you were gonna say, kid."

Minerva tried her best to match his accent—the clipped quickness of common speech, sometimes cutting short certain words. "I thought they buried dead people underground."

After taking a draw from his wooden pipe and blowing out the smoke, Arsen answered, "Not the slaves. The lilies get planted with a sapling above their corpse. I think it's allowed because of the superstitions."

Minerva finished her chore and plopped onto the ground at his feet. He offered her the pipe, but she shook her head. "What kind of superstitions?"

His golden eyes twinkled. "They say the grave trees come alive at night and swallow up anyone who isn't attuned to the land."

"That's ... that's us, isn't it?" Minerva paled.

"You bet your bloody—"

"Ueda."

Arsen winced and shot Minerva a hurt glance that said "why didn't you tell me the general is right behind me?" He cleared his throat. "Yessir?"

"Stop scaring her. She's going with you tonight," Matsudo said. He walked off to another cluster of soldiers without another word.

Minerva and Arsen looked at each other.

"Well, you heard the man." Arsen grinned. "Eat a good dinner. This work's best not done on an empty stomach."

"Will we be safe?" Minerva asked. The trees to her right appeared alien in nature, far larger than any she'd ever seen. She could imagine getting lost in that forest and never seeing the sky again ... if the trees didn't consume her first.

Arsen set his pipe down on a rock and tied up his black hair with a leather cord. "Safe isn't a word for a warrior. Phoenix favors the bold. I rather think you have some of her luck, seeing as you're the only one of your group left."

Minerva hid her face in her arms. She didn't like to be reminded of that.

"Chin up, kid. We'll be fine." Arsen dropped his teasing manner. "General Kavighn is attuned to the land even if we aren't."

At the sound of crackling, Minerva raised her head to peek at Arsen absent-mindedly stirring the cooking fire.

"The Terrons are afraid of him because of it. Same as those in our capital who worry over the success of his exploits." A flurry of sparks had reflected in his eyes. "Both would pay a pretty penny to have him killed.