Page 15 of Their War

“I don't know, but we need to go. I can hear people coming this way,” Callum said from behind me.

Turning, I was greeted by the sight of his very large dick. For a moment, I had forgotten that he'd shifted, which meant that he was now very, very naked. I swallowed, forcing my attention back to the emergency at hand and away from his blessings.

“Brannoc, get Rhowyn out of here. I'll carry Arryn. Once you get her somewhere safe, come back and take him. Us three will find our own way out of here,” Callum instructed, taking over due to Arryn's incapacitation.

We sprang into action, and I watched as Callum easily slung Arryn across his shoulder. Rhowyn was lifted gently, almost reverently, into Brannoc's arms as he swirled away, transporting her to safety.

Not waiting for him to return, Baer, Callum, and I began sprinting back the way we'd come. If our luck continued to hold, we'd be able to get away from here without any further confrontations. Yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath. Our luck had been shit since meeting Rhowyn. Not that she was to blame, but maybe Callum was right, and she just attracted trouble. And yet, she was worth every single second of discomfort.

I fell to the back of the group, watching Callum's back as Baer led the way forward. And what a nice backside it was, thick and round and inviting me to get a handful. Jerking my eyes from the flexing muscles in his firm ass, I searched for any approaching foes.

Callum held Arryn with one hand while his other held his sword. Where he had found it, I didn't know since he didn’t have a sheath or even a stitch of clothing on outside of his boots, but I was glad he had a weapon as we rushed back toward the tunnel.

Right at the edge of the tree line, Baer halted. Callum and I moved forward until I saw what had made him stop. “Fuck. That's not good.”

Brannoc appeared at that moment, and Callum practically threw Arryn at him. “Take him and go. Looks like we're going to have to fight our way out of here,” he told him before indicating the line of Royal Guards waiting at the tunnel entrance for us.

Brannoc didn't hesitate, just disappeared again with a swirl of smoke, getting Arryn out of here. “So, how do you want to handle this?” Baer asked Callum. Both sides stood there as if frozen in place as we debated internally the best way to attack.

Not bothering to answer or even consult with us, Callum charged forward, impulsive as ever. He was always the bull in these situations, eager to battle his way out of any situation. To him, fighting would always be the answer.

Following closely, Baer and I raced after him, meeting the first row of guards. As they swarmed us, we instinctively put our backs together, ensuring none could sneak up on us. For what seemed like hours but was most likely no more than a few minutes, we fought with everything we had. After days of being holed up with anxious energy, we were finally able to release the anger that we’d kept pent up. The anger at our failures, our helplessness. At our inadequacies and for what these assholes had planned for Rhowyn.

I slashed and ducked, lunging out to strike a soldier when he was swinging at Callum, landing my blade under his armpit, severing the artery, and dropping him before spinning to help Baer. Again and again, my blade met flesh. I started to tire as the soldiers started to thin out, catching a swipe of the blade across my thigh and then my shoulder, unable to get out of the way in time. Each injury was answered by my own blade, but the pain was starting to slow me down even further.

Brannoc returned, his smoke making it difficult to see and decreasing the visibility for everyone. However, as the smoke thickened, I heard grunts of pain and agony as I stood still, panting and trying to catch my breath.

When the smoke cleared, it was to find that he'd dispensed with the remaining guards. Not waiting to be told, we all sprinted forward and through the tunnel, coming out the other side without further complications.

“Where'd you stash Rhowyn and Arryn?” Callum asked Brannoc between breaths. We were all getting tired now, but it was then that a thought occurred to me.

“Where are we going to go? Arryn's the one that usually has the escape plan, and we can't exactly go back to the tavern,” I said before Brannoc could answer Callum.

“Not to worry. Arryn's not the only one with contingency plans. Where do you think he learned it from?” Brannoc said cooly, almost devoid of any emotion.

“Great. And how much further to this contingency plan?” I asked him.

“Are you finding it hard to keep up, Your Highness?” he asked me.

Narrowing my eyes at him in anger, I answered, “Nope. Just concerned about running through the village with this guy.” I pointed at Callum, indicating his nude state.

“That might be a problem,” Brannoc said as if noticing Callum's nakedness for the first time.

“You think?”

“Lennox. Quit trying to aggravate Brannoc. Let's just get to where we need to go and quickly. Preferably quietly,” Callum snapped at me.

If anyone else had spoken to me that way, I'd have gotten offended, but I knew by now that he was just being Callum. He didn't know how to be subtle or gentle. Listening to him, we all sprinted in silence around the edges of the village.

Along the way, Brannoc disappeared briefly before returning, holding out something to Callum. “Here.” Taking the item, Callum donned the piece of fabric while not breaking his stride. Honestly, it was quite impressive how he did that, getting the pants on without any issues. I'd have probably fallen on my face.

At my questioning look, Callum smiled at me. “You think this is the first time I've had to get dressed while running?”

Well, damn. Is he flirting with me? I couldn't help the rush of desire that thought caused. However, the thought of Rhowyn tamped down on any further urges I had.

Finally, we arrived at a little shack that was barely standing. In fact, I was convinced that a strong gust of wind was going to blow it over at any second. Surely this wasn't the place Brannoc had been talking about.

When he opened the door, the wood creaked in protest, and I watched the walls shake slightly from the force. “Hurry,” he urged us inside a tiny room. Looking around, I found a dirt floor, a cot in one corner, and a fire pit. A crate was upturned and being used as a table, the cot doubling as a chair.

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