Page 62 of Sword of Rage
Stunned, she realized she’d upset Ackley. Someone as tough and strong as him had been hurt by her words. She’d basically implied he was a cold-blooded killer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He didn’t respond.
* * *
Each step felt like knives stabbing into the bottoms of Harley’s feet and ankles. When she’d hurried and dressed two nights ago, she hadn’t had socks. She’d slid her feet into her boots, assuming she’d packed socks and could put them on later. Well, she forgot socks. So after two days of walking without them, her feet were covered in blisters, most of which had popped. Ackley probably had a spare set in his bag; however, she didn’t want to ask him for anything. He’d been cold and distant the past two days, barely talking to her.
As the sun set, tears threatened. She thought they would have reached Landania by now. Maybe Ackley, who never hesitated in which direction he went, had made a mistake—if that were even possible.
The wind blew gently. “It reeks of death.” The heady scent made her want to gag.
“Russeks truly are barbarians,” Ackley muttered. He’d stopped a few feet in front of her, at the top of a small rise.
“Is it another town?” She couldn’t bring herself to see another burned village with the remains of the inhabitants charred. There was only so much heartache she could handle.
He hesitated a moment before facing her. Adjusting the bag on his back, he said, “Not quite.” There were shadows in his eyes as if haunted by what he saw.
Scared, Harley moved slowly to the top of the hill, stopping beside him. About half a mile ahead, a row of spikes stuck out of the ground for as far as she could see in both directions. On top of each spike was a severed head. Some of them small enough to indicate it belonged to a child. She fell to her knees, clutching the grass, trying to keep the screams inside.
Ackley crouched next to her. “I didn’t think anyone capable of so much evil. And I’ve seen evil firsthand.” Carefully reaching out, he took hold of her fingers, squeezing them. “We must reach Landania before it’s fully dark. I’m guessing this is the border between Melenia and Landania.”
She nodded, unable to speak.
He stood, pulling her up alongside him before releasing her hand. “Stay right behind me. Focus on my back and nothing else.”
They were going to have to pass the line of severed heads, walking directly between them. The smell would only intensify the closer they got.
Ackley began the trek down the hill, keeping a swift pace.
Harley did as he said and kept her focus on his back, never wavering from it. She would not look at the decaying heads on the spikes. “We need to take them down.” They couldn’t leave her fellow citizens in such a state.
“I agree, but now is not the time.”
“They deserve to be buried.”
“If we had the necessary help and supplies, we could. However, that is not our mission right now. We must remain focused. If you want Russek to pay, we need to stay our course.”
What he said made sense. Yet, it didn’t stop the fact that she wanted to do something to help these people.
Ackley’s hand slid around hers, gripping it tightly. “I’m here to help you. But right now, I need you to help me. Keep walking.” He pulled her alongside him, quickening their pace.
Once they’d passed the line of spikes, Harley focused on what she saw in the distance. Smoke rose from over a dozen spots in a clustered area. “Do you think that’s a town in Landania?”
“That’s my guess. Probably one with a heavy military presence.”
Even though they’d passed the heads, he didn’t release his hold on her. “You can let go,” she said. “I’m not so fragile I’ll fall over or cry.” Though she wanted to.
“Have you considered the possibility that I’m holding your hand not for your benefit, but for mine? That I’m the one who needs comfort? That I want to be grounded in another human so I don’t do something stupid?”
The confession startled her. She had no idea how to respond, so she simply squeezed his hand, trying to provide as much comfort as she was receiving.
The two of them continued walking as darkness overtook them. The closer they got to the town, the better Harley could make out the buildings. There were far more than she’d originally thought. When they reached the outskirts, Ackley slowed, walking casually as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Harley tried to mimic him. He steered them toward the middle of the town, where the buildings were denser. People were out walking, no one paying them any heed. Much to her relief, no Landania soldiers were visible. Hopefully no one would question where they were from or what they were doing there.
Up ahead, a group of people stood laughing. To the left, a sign hung with the wordTavernpainted on it.
“They speak the same language as us,” Ackley whispered. “Though their accent is more along the lines of yours.”
She didn’t have an accent, Ackley did.
