Dreamcatcher - Nimra Series - BOOK ONE

The Truth

When we arrived at Port Yale it didn’t take us much time to find out where Shadow was, he was the talk of the town and we just followed the gossip to a large tavern and inn just east of the main gates. Ayla kept her hood up while we rode to it, one hand on her reigns and the other on her blade, she was uneasy and nervous and kept eying everyone who passed us. When we arrived at the tavern, Ayla sat in the very back corner in the shadows hiding from everyone’s view, we were lucky it was quiet so we didn’t draw much attention to ourselves.

I asked the wench at bar if she knew where I could find Shadow and she just pointed to a door upstairs telling me he was in there, she didn’t ask me any questions and just went right back to what she was doing. Taking in a few deep breathes when I reached the door I knocked softly, there was no answer, I then knocked again louder and twice this time and again no answer. Finally, I knocked so loud everyone in the tavern looked up at me, it was then the door swung open to show me a very half naked Shadow draped only in a towel.

My cheeks flushed as my eyes looked him up and down, his skin was still wet, and his hair dripping and his towel wasn’t exactly large and didn’t cover much, it sat on his hips. I could hear my heart beat faster in my ears, I was a young girl and had never seen a half-naked man before so the feelings I was getting were all completely new to me. I looked up into his eyes, forgetting how tall he was.

            “Don’t just stand there! You came here to talk to him, not ogle at him.”

My inner voice already screaming at me to stop acting like such a love-sick puppy. Getting a grip of myself I pushed passed Shadow and strived into the bathroom, noticing the bath water was almost black from all the dirt he had on him.

            “The lady didn’t tell me you were bathing.” I didn’t look at him again for fear I would lose my mind and forget why I was here. “At least you smell better now.”

            “To what do I do to deserve this honor Princess?” He gave me the same tone as he did when I met him in The Angel Inn. “I thought you were running away and hiding from me?”

            “Sometimes drastic measures have to be taken when one’s fate is in the balance.” I sounded like Seniya, quoting her was not something I did very often. “And besides I just put my piece down on this game we all seem to be playing, it’s your move now.”

I turned to look at him, wishing he would find some clothing to put over his body. I could see more clearly now as he walked over to the rooms only window, sunlight catching the water droplets on his skin. His beautifully toned body was defined and any sane women would have loved to have gone exploring but I was keeping my wits about myself, well as far as I possibly could. He had a long deep cut going from his right shoulder down to his forearm and in different circumstances I would have asked him where he got it from as well as ask him where he got the other scar on his left hip bone. He looked like he had been through some wars. He caught me gazing at him and flashed me a soft smile. I looked away quickly, a feeling of fluttering entering my stomach and causing my heart to race once more. Shaking my head in a way to get rid of these feelings, I put the arrow back in its quiver and the bow over my head and around my body, I watched as Shadows body seemed to relax a little, maybe he didn’t like the idea of a women having the upper hand on him? I smiled at the thought.

            “So why are you here?” He asked me, studying my every movement.

I sat down on a stool near the right side of the room, in Shadow’s direction I turned my body towards him, and he tightened the towel around him and leaned his back against the window and crossed his arms.

            “When I left Minwed I was brought to the forest witch Seniya, she clothed me and sent for Ayla to watch over me. While I was waiting Seniya gave me something to look at, it was a looking glass.” He looked up suddenly at me, he knew of the glass I spoke of, everyone in Nimra knew the story of how Seniya obtained it. “She asked me to look deeply into it and what I saw was a great battle, the coat of arms of every city in Nimra going up against each other. My father, Zerfina and Solum joining forces while myself, the great forests and Eldon fought against my father.” I paused looking at him as he listened. “I didn’t understand what it meant, it felt like a dream but very real at the same time. Shadow, I was there marching forward against my father and his followers and you…” I stopped lowering my gaze. He stepped forward itching closer to me. “You were there, at my side, protecting me, fighting with me.”

I dared not look at his face for fear of reaction I hadn’t prepared myself for. I could feel his eyes on me, he leaned down in front of me then, placing his hand under my chin to lift my face to look at his. He was reading my eyes, I could see this is how he learnt what responses a person would give. It’s a technique my father taught to only his greatest fighters and Shadow was top of the class. I shuddered away at his touch; quickly moving away from him, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, turning me fully towards him. Both his hands on my forearms, his towel loosened with his movements. I gulped like a young child who was preparing themselves to get scolded, me breathe had caught in my chest as I stared at him.

            “You did not kill your mother, did you?” He asked in a questioning but calm tone.

            “No, of course I didn’t.” He kept his grip on me but wasn’t enough to hurt.

            “Then who did Giselle? I was sent here to bring you back to your father but I feel that is not the mission anymore, is it?”

            “Shadow, my father killed my mother right in front of me and then framed me.”

He let go of my arms suddenly and I took a step back, waiting for some reply from him. I watched as his face turn from confused, to anger and then to sorrow and before I knew it he had me in his arms hugging me tightly, his towel now no longer on his body exposing every part of him. I blushed even more, this was not how I wanted to see a naked man for the first time.

We embraced for a couple of seconds, I had no idea why I was allowing him to even touch me. He was sent to capture me or worse and I still felt uncomfortable at that thought as he could change his mind whenever he chose to. I looked up at him as I pulled away, watching as his ice blue eyes changed to a darker shade of blue. I never noticed they did that but then again, I had never been this close to him before. He loosened his hold of me so I could step back, it took him a couple of seconds to realise he was nude, his eyes widened as he frantically lifted the towel and wrapped it around him again. I laughed out loud as he was such an imposing man and seeing him like this eased my nerves a little.

            “You don’t have to be so worried, pretty sure I’ve seen all of you now without intending to do so.” I said smiling.

I laughed once more watching him as he grinned and created a tight knot in the towel to be sure it would not fall off again. We smiled at each other and for the first time it was a genuine smile. I felt like myself for those limited seconds and I had the feeling he sensed it. I was about to say something about the situation we had got ourselves into when I heard yelling and the sounds of crashing coming from downstairs and my first thought was of Ayla and then Lord Terrell. 

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SHADOWBANE - POV

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Before I had even a chance of thinking about what was going on or saying anything, Giselle was out the door and had hopped over the balcony landing on the tavern bar, I watched as she pulled out her sword from its scabbard. It was a long steel blade that seemed to shimmer as the light hit it and on top of its handle was the same emerald and sapphire patterns I had on the dagger King Xandious gave me. It was made of dragons’ steel and was not a weapon you wanted to be on the receiving end of.

Quickly I rushed into the room I was staying in, shoving a man who came at me out of the way and over the balcony. I didn’t see where he landed, I just heard the almighty thud. I was hasty getting my trousers on, I didn’t think of putting my shirt on as I knew Giselle may need me. Grabbing my sword Winterthorn I rushed out of the room but came to a sudden stop as I saw Giselle lifting Ayla off the floor.

They stood back to back of each other, both of them with weapons made of dragons’ steel in their hands. Ayla was holding two daggers in either of her hands ready to strike and for that moment I was frozen, the hero in me urging me to help them both but yet I wanted to watch them destroy the several men surrounding them or at least see how good of fighters they were.

            “Right boys this can either go one or two ways.” I heard Giselle’s very feminine but threatening voice speak up amongst the racket. “We can either let you all go without facing embarrassment.”

            “Or, we can show you what a real ass whopping is.” Ayla spoke.

The men irrupted in laughter as one of the largest men decided to start the fight off. He swung his giant fist out at Ayla and she blocked it before swinging her left leg up and kicking him in the face, he went down hard, unconscious. I watched as the rest of the men looked before pulling out their weapons and charging at the girls.