Page 65 of Their War

“Your True mate?” I snapped at him. “How can you be sure?” I needed an answer quickly. This had not been what I expected when we started this journey. Sure, I had felt closer to him and had used his magic once, but this was different, wasn't it?

“Come. I'll take you to the Chieftain now,” the warrior said with a smirk, clearly enjoying the bomb he'd just dropped on us.

Seeing no other way except to follow the now departing warrior, I turned to Brannoc. “We are not done with this conversation, by a long shot.”

He grimaced and replied, “Trust me, I know.”

We were silent as we marched through the forest, the warrior clearly knowing the way even though all the trees looked the same to me and there was clearly no path. Several times, I was slapped in the face and arms by branches as I followed the man, and I swore I saw his shoulders shaking as if he was laughing at me.

I turned to glare at Brannoc, needing to send my ire somewhere, and considering the secret he had kept from me, he seemed like a good source to direct all my anger at. A twinge of guilt ate at me when he dropped his head from my view, his shame and guilt clear as day to me. Shit. Maybe I was being too hard on him? I mean, he had tried to tell me something earlier before everyone had come in and interrupted us.

I shook my head. He’d had ample opportunities to tell me, but he chose not to. He had made the decision to keep something this huge from me, leaving me to find out like this. If I was supposed to be his mate, shouldn't he have been able to trust me with this information? Unless.... no. He had sworn himself to me already, hadn't he?

It wouldn't be the first time that a man told a woman what she wanted to hear just to get into her pants. What if he hadn't meant what he'd said? What if he didn't want to be my mate and that's why he hadn't told me?

I looked over my shoulder as if the answer could be found with just a glance, but it was the same slumped shoulders as he followed behind me. When I stumbled over a root, I whipped my head back forward just in time to catch a face full of branches. “Watch it, asshole!” I snapped, completely fed up with these Ravens.

The warrior simply turned back with a smile. “Perhaps it should be you who watches what she's doing?”

I narrowed my eyes at him in response, dreaming up ways I could maim him, but I was certain he didn't see me as a threat. What with my diminutive height and human body, he thought I was beneath him. Some weakling to trample all over.

Focusing completely on my path forward, I managed to catch the next branch, a smile gracing my face in triumph for the first time since the truth bomb earlier. Take that you stupid warrior asshole! I was country once, and I know how to avoid shit. It's just been a while since I had to rough it. I thought at him, keeping all my angry words to myself.

After about forty miles and ten hours, or maybe it wasn't that long, but it felt like it in this terrain, the warrior pushed back a final branch and held it for me. I looked at him tentatively, pausing because I couldn't be sure this wasn't some trick where he was waiting for me to move forward so he could release the branch into my face again. Deciding to take the chance and be ready for it just in case, I moved forward cautiously.

I halted with a gasp as I took in the area that had been hiding behind the branch the warrior was holding for me. I glanced at him as if this was some kind of joke or mirage, only to find a prideful smirk.

Turning back, I took in the view, feeling Brannoc's warmth coming up to stand behind me. I sensed his hand coming up as if he wanted to grab my waist, but he hesitated, dropping his hand to his side. A twinge of hurt gripped me, but it did nothing to mar the beauty that was before me.

A village stood ahead of me, homes built into the trees like in the fairy tales and stories I'd read about. People, or rather Ravens, went about their daily tasks, paying no heed to us other than the occasional curious glance. Children ran back and forth, chasing each other and playing games, some even disappearing into their smoke forms to reappear in front of the others in a form of tag. Their laughter reached my ears, and this idyllic scene caused my heart to ache. What would my life have been like if I had grown up in a place such as this? Clearly there was love and pride here, family everywhere.

“It's beautiful,” I whispered in awe, turning to the warrior.

“Welcome to Bran Coille, my home.” He let me look a little longer before waving at me. “Come, it is time to meet my True Mate, Chieftain Revna.” It seemed that my response to his home had changed his demeanor toward me, as if my appreciation had warmed his heart and lowered his distrust of me. Clearly, I was still the outsider here, but with my connection to Brannoc, maybe they'd welcome me.

We followed the warrior, who had yet to give us his name, but if his mate was the Chieftain, I knew he was someone important to this tribe. Or did they call themselves a flock? I knew crows were called a murder when they grouped together, but what were Ravens called? I filed the question away to ask Brannoc later. Maybe.

Members paused in their tasks, watching us as we were led to a large tree in the middle of the village. Their stares caused the hair on the back of my neck to rise, and it took everything in me to keep from stiffening my muscles in preparation for an attack. Instead, I kept my muscles loose and my gait unhurried as if I did this sort of thing every day. Although I did shift my weight from my heels to the balls of my feet so I could react quickly should I need to. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, a mindset that had gotten me safely through life so far.

As we neared the largest tree, I took in the details that surrounded me. A large door was carved into the front, two guards on either side. Up above, I could see some balconies and walkways, which connected to the other trees around us. Guards marched along the walkways, their eyes following Brannoc and I closely, wary of our intentions. It was easy to sense their irritation at having obvious outsiders in their domain. They didn't trust us, which I couldn't blame them for because I didn't trust them either. Sure, I was going along for now, but I wasn't about to lower my guard. We simply needed access to the water they protected and would happily be on our way once they gave us what we came for.

Although, I could hear Arryn's voice now, advising me on how prudent it would be to gain their trust and allegiance, something we may need in the future, being that we found ourselves at odds against the Queen and current regime. At the very least, we didn't need them as enemies. Which meant I'd have to play the diplomat. Shit. I really wished I had Arryn or Baer here to help me navigate this meeting. I was a shoot first and ask questions later type of girl. Having to play the part of a politician came about as naturally to me as a dog playing poker.

At a nod from the warrior, the guards moved from the door, their weapons at the ready as they gauged my threat level. It seemed that I wasn't much of a threat to them because they visibly relaxed once they caught sight of my human ears, which were clearly on display. Go ahead and underestimate me, I thought. Everyone who did had come to regret that decision. I knew what I was capable of and that was all that mattered. Unlike men, I didn't see the need in puffing out my chest and throwing my weight around.

And if I was being honest, those men who felt the need to do such things always left me with the impression that they were covering up for their own lack of confidence. Because, in my opinion, if you were powerful or confident, you didn't feel the need to let everyone know. For instance, one of the things that won me over with my men was the fact that they never felt the need to lord their power or status over others. And they were all, without a doubt, powerful in their own ways. Thank goodness they never felt the need to bluster like so many other men I'd met.

I smiled to myself at that thought as I glanced at the guards, finally receiving an inkling of unease from them, which only stretched my smile to one of pure amusement. At the guard's stiffening stance, the warrior looked back at me, his own amusement clear. Shaking his head with a huff at his men, he led us inside the tree, clearly not understanding why they now feared a small human woman.

If I had expected the inside to feel claustrophobic or dark, I would have been woefully wrong. My sharp inhale at the bright and homey interior had the warrior laughing at me. “It's bigger on the inside,” he said, obviously understating that sentiment. I couldn't resist; a loud guffaw escaped me to echo around the entry. The similarity to a blue telephone box and a certain doctor amused me to no end.

He led us up one of the stairways to the right of the entry, which curved around and led to another doorway on what I assumed was the second of many floors. Looking up, I had to grab the wooden rail to steady myself, the distance disorienting. People rushed in and out of rooms, going about their business and barely glancing at us. Again, we were greeted by two guards on each side of the double doors that stood before us. They nodded to the warrior and swung the doors wide for us.

Inside the room, I felt transported back in time to where the British courts and lawmakers would meet in what I guessed would be the Victorian times. I had seen documentaries and TV shows displaying similar setups to the one that was now before me. Rows of wooden stands surrounded us in a horseshoe shape, all the benches currently sitting empty and creating an echo of our footsteps across the wooden floor.

The warrior bowed, drawing my attention from our surroundings to the lone figure that sat and waited for our approach. The willowy, dark-skinned woman sat in a wooden throne-like chair that was simple and elegant. Her hair was dark as night, reflecting blue and purple like an oil slick in the light. She was stunning in her beauty as she regarded us with a gentle smile on her face. Her purple eyes reflected a wisdom beyond the years that she appeared, letting me know that despite the youth she presented, she was much older than my meager twenty-five years.

She stood, her hair covering her breasts from view, a simple loin cloth like the one the warrior wore, hiding the rest from view. Her supple skin rippled with strength in the graceful movements. Instinctively, I was met with the urge to bow to the woman, but I held my head high while fighting the urge. Brannoc remained standing behind me to my right, his body rigid as he seemed to also struggle with the urge.

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