Page 42 of Somewhere down the Ley Line
“Sounds like a plan,” Felix interrupted. “Let’s go.” He spun on his heel before Luella could argue, striding deeper into the trees.
***
The forest was majestic, stretching around them in an endless sea of colour. Reds and golds wove through the green, their hues intensified by the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The air was fresh, carrying the earthy scent of fallen leaves and damp soil.
Leif and Luella were ahead of Felix, quietly talking to each other. Trading scouting secrets, he imagined. Leif did not seem to care about Luella being a ‘Skysinger’; if anything, he seemed to be impressed by her abilities. Good for him. The more Felix learned about Leif, the more he liked him.
After a while, Leif called a halt, and dropped onto a patch of grass. “Breakfast!” he declared, pulling several neatly wrapped packages from his pack. “I know both of you haven’t eaten.”
Luella stared in disbelief as he began laying out bread, apples, and smoked meat. “You brought an entire meal?”
“I told you I was going to get breakfast, didn’t I?” Leif replied, tearing into an apple with relish. “Got enough for five, actually. Your friends back in the village will have to fend for themselves.”
Felix felt a pang of guilt at leaving Isolde behind, with only Garren there to watch over her. But Beorn was not a threat now, and she had shown last night that she could look after herself. And he was angry with her. So, he would not worry. If something happened, it was not his problem, and he shouldn’t care. He wouldn’t. Except… he did.
“You gonna eat, or stare off into the trees?” Leif waved a bread roll in front of Felix’s face, his grin as infectious as ever. “Come on, everyone needs a good breakfast.”
Felix snatched it from his hand. “Thanks.”
“So, what exactly are we hunting?” Luella asked, eyeing Leif as she chewed on a piece of meat. “Because so far, your loud chatter and Felix’s stomping have scared off at least two deer.”
Leif shrugged, unbothered. “Sometimes you don’t need to catch anything to have a good hunt. Sometimes, the prey is in your head.”
Luella raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure that made sense to you.”
Felix snorted. The three of them finished their meal in silence, enveloped by the calm of the forest. Of course, it didn’t last.
Luella froze, an apple halfway to her mouth, her eyes wide and staring.
“What is it?” Felix asked, dread creeping down his spine. Luella looked at him, blinking rapidly. “Mercenaries. Heavily armed, maybe seven or eight. Duskrend mercenaries.”
Felix felt the blood drain from his face. His hand instinctively tightened around his axe. Isolde. He wasn’t with her, he was out here in this bloody forest. What were the Duskrend doing out here?
“What’s going on?” Leif asked.
Felix ignored him, focusing on Luella. “How far?”
“Half an hour, if that,” she replied, her voice tight. “Felix, they are between us and the village. Moving in that direction.”
They were on their way to the village. Isolde was there. Why the fuck had he left? Felix turned to Leif. “How good are you in a fight, Leif?”
“Absolutely not, Felix!” Luella hissed. “We go around them, warn the others!”
Leif blanched. “There’s… armed people heading for my village? Who?”
“Mercenaries,” Felix said. “We’ve had some trouble with bounty hunters before.”
“Not with the bloody Duskrend!” Luella argued. “You can’t be serious!”
Felix met her glare with steely resolve. “You just said they’re closer than we are. They’ll surprise them; it’ll be a bloodbath. We don’t have to wipe them out, only chase them off.”
Leif glanced between them, eyes wide, his hands so tight on his spear the knuckles turned white.
“Felix, this is madness,” Luella pressed. “Surely they won’t outright attack.” She did not sound convinced.
“I worked for them.” Felix said coldly. “You’ve never seen them mow through a crowd looking for one person. I have. They don’t ask nicely. We have to stop them from reaching the village.”
Leif nodded frantically.
