Ely edit Jul 26 2021:
1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.
Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: x
Total: 2 qps
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Chapter 3:
The eery wind blows over the higher braem woods in a song that chills the bone. The campfire of the evening has a dim light that plays against the trees. Lightning plays in the sky and Callin frowns down at the unconscious girl lying at his feet.
“Elrus. Rest. She is passed out again. Sleep you dog or I will make you sleep.” He points his dagger at Elrus. The young man’s eyes dart left and right. He appears to shiver from something crawling around them.
Behind him, Callin can hear a commotion and horses being punished for travelling in the dark. Callin give a once over at the other captured girls. He gives a snort and heads to the western side of their camp. Their own horses have hoods over their heads and some feed inside to keep the horses quiet.
Jareera comes over quietly, behind him Jerin brandishes his axe as if he expects someone to attack them any second now.
He considers the night as torch lights approaches them. The group of 20 or so men and women look to have travelled this area before. He frowns at their expensive looking clothes with a sigh. He sizes up their group and the leader appears of same height and weight as Callin himself.
Absently he wonders what happened to his brother since the fool never came to them. It has been two weeks of moving their camp around and torturing those tower girls. Even elrus seems to be affected by the strain of the continuous shield he has to maintain.
The dust gelding stops at the outer edge of the camp and 5 group approaches. The leader appears to be a thin, wiry man that moves as if he is in the courtyard of the King Barthanes himself.
Callin uses sign language on his left hand to motion to Jareera to flank them from the back, 3 fingers to indicate take out at leas seven of their numbers on his signal. His right hand signs to Jerin to cover his flank. He notices elrus leaning against a tree off to his left. The kid has some sense at least.
“Friend Callin, the dark lord is looking for you. How have you hidden from him?” says the man in a girlish voice. Its high tone indicates that he is used to getting his way.
Callin spits loudly at the feet of the darkfriend, “Your dark master can lick my boots, Aaron. Why are you here. I told you lot the next time I see you I will kill you.”
The darkfriend pulls on his clothes, it has the flashiness of a bard of a court. Callin measures his body weight and reflexes. It will be not the easiest fight he has ever had.
“You misunderstand me, Callin. I have brought some friends.” He laughs and a Fade steps out from the shadows.
Callin nods. It is as he suspected. It has never been this easy to just find dark friends alone.
“We want the girl, Callin.” The fade hisses. It looks at Callin with a bland face. No expression on its face.
Callin coughs three times at Elrus. The kid nods and a smile spreads on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Alison crawling away into the bushes. The girl was faking her sleeping after all. He knows that Elrus dropped her shield a few mins ago.
“I care nothing for your kind, half-ling. My brother made a mistake when he made you. Stupid man.” He says the lie as easily as he says the words as he takes a step towards the fade.
The thing removes its sword and nod in anticipation. Callin suddenly lunges to his right and rams his dagger through the throat of the Darkfriend.
All hell breaks loose.
From behind him the girl throws a fireball at the fade and Elrus nods as lightning strikes all around them. The night flares into brilliant silver
Colours as the battle commences.
The sky rains down lightning as Callin attacks 3 more darkfriends. A woman that looks like an Illuminator grabs her head as he slices of her left ear and then stabs her right kidneys.
Throughout the battle he catches glimpses of the girl attacking the fade with stamina he didn’t know she had before. He gives her a grudging
Nod when the fade dies and she dives into the river raging to the south of them. Her thin night shift dress will not hold back the cold of the river this deep into the winter that is gripping the land.
Within moments there is a few dead darkfriends spread all over the campsite. Elrus sits staring at one of the bodies and keep kicking the lifeless corpse of the fade to see if it’s still alive.
He severs the head of Aaron, ‘Promise kept, Darkfriend. “ he looks at the dead eyes and frown.
“Tell your masters I have never been anyones dog for thousands of years and I will not be now. I serve not the light or the dark. I serve my own needs. “
“She is gone, Callin.” Says Elrus to his left. The words are so normal sounding suddenly that he frowns to his left.
“What is wrong with you?”
“In the middle of this she attempted to heal me. I tortured her for weeks and she attempted to take the sickness out of me.” He giggles at the night.
“You will be fine. Heal up, get rid of this bodies. Take their gold and their horses. We heading for Tanchico on the second night. Time to hunt some Seanchan. “
He look at the river and smiles. “Till next time, Alison.”