CHAPTER-FIVE
1241 Words
The forest air was colder than usual when Sir Aldric and the reinforcements finally reached the king’s outer camp. The night sky was heavy with clouds, almost as if the heavens themselves refused to witness what was coming. Torches flickered in the wind. Shadows stretched across the tents like warning signs carved into the earth.
Aldric slowed his horse, his eyes scanning the camp. Soldiers moved about with tired, uneven steps. Some tended to the wounded, others sharpened blades, while a few stared blankly into the darkness as if expecting something to emerge at any moment. The air smelled of damp earth, fear, and exhaustion.
Aldric frowned. “This is worse than the reports,” he murmured.
He dismounted quickly, handing the reins to a nearby soldier. “Where is the king?”
The soldier bowed, his voice trembling. “In his command tent, Sir Aldric. He has been waiting.”
Aldric nodded and strode through the camp, his footsteps heavy with dread. Every soldier he passed bowed, but their eyes held something far more telling than respect. They held worry. Confusion. A silent plea for someone to restore order.
When Aldric reached the entrance of the tent, he paused for a moment. He breathed deeply, gathering courage, then stepped inside.
King Eric stood over a map table, leaning forward with both hands pressed against the wooden surface. His armor was dented. His cloak was stained with dried blood. His once bright eyes were dull with exhaustion, but they still held a fire that had not yet gone out.
When he lifted his head and saw Aldric, a faint smile touched his lips. “You came.”
“Your letter reached us at dawn,” Aldric said, bowing. “I brought every available reinforcement.”
Eric’s smile faded. “Good. We will need every blade we have.”
Aldric stepped closer, noticing something unsettling. “What happened here, my king?”
Eric exhaled slowly. “The enemy is… different this time. They do not fight like men. They move like shadows, strike without warning, and vanish before we can respond. Scouts have disappeared without leaving footprints. Even our strongest warriors are shaken.”
Aldric felt ice crawl along his spine. “Have you seen their leader?”
Eric shook his head. “Not clearly. Always masked. Always distant. But there is something else, Aldric. Something worse.”
He lowered his voice. “At night, I feel watched. Not by the enemy. By someone close.”
Aldric’s pulse quickened. “Watched by who?”
Eric closed his eyes briefly. “I do not know. But someone here has betrayed us.”
Aldric stiffened. “Your Majesty, if you believe someone in this camp is a traitor, we must….”
“No,” Eric interrupted. “Not yet. I have no proof. And paranoia can destroy an army faster than steel.”
Before Aldric could respond, movement rustled near the entrance. The king’s cousin stepped inside, his expression lined with concern. “Your Majesty, the men are ready for your orders.”
“Good,” Eric said. “We march tonight.”
The cousin bowed and left quickly, but Aldric noticed something strange. The man’s eyes flickered briefly toward Eric’s map, then shifted away too quickly, as if hiding knowledge he should not have had.
Aldric filed the suspicion in his mind but said nothing.
Eric sighed heavily. “The enemy knows our usual paths. We cannot remain here. We move deeper into Darkpine Forest. It is our only chance at reaching their base.”
Aldric nodded reluctantly. “I will ride beside you.”
“Thank you,” Eric whispered. “If anything happens to me, promise you will protect Seraphina.”
Aldric swallowed hard. “I swear it on my life.”
Eric placed a hand on his shoulder. “Then let us face whatever awaits.”
The army began moving an hour later. Torches illuminated the narrow path into the forest. Branches hung low like claws reaching for the soldiers. Horses snorted uneasily, and armor clinked in the dark silence. It felt as if the world was holding its breath.
Aldric rode beside the king, scanning every direction. The traitor rode behind them, his face unreadable in the dim glow.
Aldric leaned closer to Eric. “My king, something feels wrong. Too quiet.”
Eric nodded. “I know.”
Then the forest exploded.
Arrows shot from the darkness. Dozens. Hundreds. They rained from trees like a storm. Soldiers screamed. Horses reared. The torches scattered, tossed from trembling hands.
“Ambush!” Aldric roared, drawing his sword.
Eric raised his shield, blocking an arrow that would have struck his throat. “To me! Form a line!”
But the enemy was everywhere. Masked figures darted between trees, their movements swift and deadly. They attacked from every angle, vanishing before the soldiers could strike back.
Aldric charged forward, protecting a fallen soldier, then spun to cover Eric’s side. “Stay close, Your Majesty!”
Eric nodded and swung his blade fiercely, cutting down an attacker.
The traitor shouted from behind them, pretending to help. “This way! This way, men! Follow me!”
But his voice led soldiers into darker parts of the forest where the enemy waited.
Aldric realized it too late.
“Do not follow him!” Aldric shouted. “Stay with the king!”
Another wave of arrows hissed through the trees. One struck Eric’s horse in the neck. The animal screamed, rearing violently before collapsing. Eric crashed to the ground, his sword skidding across the leaves.
“YOUR MAJESTY!” Aldric yelled, throwing himself toward him.
Before he reached him, a masked warrior stepped out of the shadows. The attacker moved with a silent grace that chilled Aldric’s soul. The figure raised a curved blade and struck.
Eric managed to block the first blow, but the second pierced through his armor, sinking deep into his side.
The king gasped.
Aldric reached them in a blast of rage, swinging his sword with enough force to shatter bone. The masked attacker leapt away and vanished into the trees before Aldric could strike again.
Aldric fell to his knees beside the king. “your majesty. Stay with me. Please.”
Eric coughed, blood spilling from his lips. “Aldric… listen.”
“Save your strength,” Aldric said desperately. “We will get help.”
“No,” Eric whispered. “There is no time.”
His eyes were fading, but they held one final spark.
“Protect Seraphina.”
Aldric felt his breath break.
“Your majesty, please…”
The king weakly grabbed his wrist. “Trust… no one. One of us… has betrayed…”
His voice faded.
His grip loosened.
His eyes drifted open but saw nothing.
King Eric took his final breath in Aldric’s arms.
Aldric bowed his head, pain tearing through him. “Forgive me, my king.”
Behind him, the traitor watched the scene with fake horror, hiding the small, satisfied smile that flickered across his lips.
Aldric lifted his head, rage and grief merging inside him. “Retreat!” he yelled. “Fall back! Protect the wounded! Retreat now!”
The soldiers obeyed instantly, dragging their injured comrades through the burning forest as Aldric carried the king’s body.
The night closed around them, swallowing the battlefield.
But Aldric knew one thing with painful clarity.
This was not the end.
It was only the beginning.
- Writer
