Not All Heroes Are Guiltless

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Aela’s POV

The guards’ swords from the prison were already dull. I throw it down as the calvary comes closer. I quickly pull out my cloak and wrap I around myself for the added protection the kitchen servant uniform wouldn’t provide. I will have to do something I have never done in actual combat. I have to summon my own swords.

The taut of bowstrings brings me back to the matter at hand, and I’m prepared. The high pitch scream of my nickname rushes and whips in the wind next to me and echoes on the wall. I don’t even respond to the despair of his voice he has people to help and lead.

With a flick of my wrist and with a bit of ancient power solidified in my grasp. The divine connection my mate helped me build and develop. The tools the gods gave for the justice of Redford, spirit swords of light. I deflect the arrow with a shining blade of white steel.

The riders are quicky upon me, and they don’t even make a move to the bridge. I am their target, and I smirk at my small triumph. I unsaddle one of their officers and jump upon his horse and lead the rest of the calvary away from Ethan and his men.

The horse is hesitant, and I have to focus on relaxing him with a few soothing and calming spells to follow my instructions, but we make it through the city and into the forest before the calvary overtakes me. I utilize the trees to kill or maim the calvary members.

When I reached a good distance and my horse had been shot by a small crossbow. I can no longer keep pace in front of the men. I jump into the large tree branches and hide and wait for them to call off the search. If I tried to kill all of them who were in pursuit of me, I would have every Hou Ndour on me, and I would be fighting for days. I start making my way back towards camp when I see a familiar face leave from one of the Hou Ndour outposts.

With an internal growl, I keep my wolf from not killing the traitor at this point. I doubled back to the outpost and with the ease of the chaos created from the escaped prisoners and the lost communication of most of the Calvary. I am able to stealthily kill everyone within the outpost before they are able to send the message out. I burn the report from our betrayer and return back to camp.

Before I was a hundred feet away from where camp was when I left earlier in the day, I’m encouraged because the camp had already been moved. I find their trail, and with my wolf’s stronger sense of smell, I am able to track them to their next location. After almost an hour and a half of tracking, I find a small clearing with the men within a circle.

“We leave her!” They are yelling with their hands avidly expressing their frustrations, and Ethan is holding his hands up to quiet them down. “Going back will only risk our safety. She delayed them so we can get away. Don’t make her sacrifice be in vain.”

Ethan screams in despair, “She did sacrifice herself for us, and she singlehandedly saved us. But she doesn’t deserve to die for my folly!”

“She will die, and so will all of us if we go back!” The familiar face from the outpost says, and I smirk at him as I find a perch on a branch above them.

For a good hour, Ethan is debating with his men on what their next step is. I keep my eye on the betrayer for any movement. He keeps looking at another man, and I’m observant. Once they all start to settle down, the two defectors start talking, and they discuss when the Hou Ndours attack they need to throw down their sword while they wipe out the camp.

My ward around the camp hasn’t detected anyone except the men leaving for privacy in the forest. I pull out two of my throwing daggers and will a decent gamble they are likely the only two betrayers. I throw them quickly in succession, and both go down in just a choke. I jump down from my perch and start walking away from the camp. My disappointment in Ethan is disheartening any hope I had in him, and I feel like I’ve wasted my time with him and his band of bandits.

“Silence?” Ethan calls out from behind me, and I stand still as he approaches. I don’t even turn to him, unaware of my resentment towards him. “Silence, I’m glad you made it back.”

I turn my head so he can hear me clearly, “I told you to kill your betrayers.”

Ethan gasps and swallows hard. I can hear him turn and glance at his men searching their faces, and my irritation only grows larger. “Don’t overthink it. I’ve already handled them, but I wouldn’t stay in this spot for long. One just sold you out right before you moved.”

I step forward to continue through the forest, and Ethan runs to catch up to me, “Wait! Princess AmAela.”

I turn around to him and growl angrily. He hesitates and looks defeated. “I saw you on the day of the giants. You rushed to play decoy when my sisters were trapped under a building. You got the giant to chase you and kept him away while I was able to escape with them through the capital. I’ve regretted that day for so long. I wanted to see them, and my parents sent them to see me while I was at the academy. It was me who put them in harm’s way. I would have lost them if it wasn’t for you. Thank you.”

I cross my arms in front of him, unsure of what to do next. Ethan moves closer, “You were saved by Delmar the Cruel, the killer wolf who can decimate cities. He was the other cloaked figure you were traveling with when I met you, wasn’t he?”

“How do you remember him?” I ask softly.

“I denied my wolf when I was four. My mother denied hers, too. I believe my grandparents may have also. My grandfather told me that when the lupines were being oppressed, it was best to ex-communicate from our family and live our lives. I may not live as long as my forefathers, but I have a few perks, and I remember him as being a threat, but no one else seemed to recognize he was there. All the signs of the mysterious killer wolf.” Ethan holds sincere sadness in his words.

I don’t try to console him and stand there still filled with anger. Ethan collapses on his knees and almost moves into a subjugate pose. “Please, Silence. Did I disappoint you or anger you in any way? It wasn’t my intention. Don’t leave us. You are our reason to fight, even when you cloak yourself.”

He stays on his knees pleading with me, but I don’t answer. I am disappointed and angry. Ethan drops his head down and leans forward on his hands, “I hoped this could be a romantic gesture, but I’m not good enough for you, am I?”

“It’s not that you aren’t good enough for me. It’s that lupines have their own destined mate, which isn’t you.” I say with a harshness that reminds me of my cold-hearted mate.

Ethan nods his head and stands back up, knocking the dirt off his knees. He seems like he’s fighting an internal battle. “I understand. You aren’t collared?”

“Delmar wouldn’t train me with it on. I did what I had to do.” I say not technically lying but not the full truth. I used my mate’s name for the first time to test it out. It seems right but slightly off, and it's got both my wolf and me puzzled.

“Right, why haven’t you been building an army to take back the nation?” He says, looking at me now accusingly.

“I am Hou Ndours most wanted. Any group I lead would have been sold out ages ago. On second thought, maybe I was hypocritical to be disappointed in you because you trust all your men and can’t admit when one may betray you because of less admirable attention. I do admire your skills and tactics. The only reason you have betrayers now is because you are more notorious, and the Hou Ndours want to squash any views of rebellion. None of the less, I will only increase the price exponentially if I remain in your brigade.” I say with my hands behind my back in a relaxed military pose.

“Can you ask Delmar to help?” He asks with one eyebrow higher than the other.

“He wants nothing to do with Redford. He informed me he had postponed his own agenda for far too long and disappeared the day I joined you.” I say matter-of-factly.

Ethan nods his head and then crosses his arms and chews on the inside of his cheek. His quirk on how he processes and plans. So, it is different from Andrews lip chew and my mate’s cold unwavering stare. Finally, he clicks his tongue, “You should lead. More people will join our ranks.”

“Yeah, and the faster we will fall. Take, for example, this latest betrayal, I was able to discourage and stop anyone selling you out up until now, but they were able to reach two of your trusted scouts. If I’m leading, I can’t monitor or even intimidate potential traitors.” My response gets him to nod his head.

He groans and bellows loudly to release his stress and then shakes his head, “They know you are a female, but I don’t think anyone recognizes you. I only recognized you because I was at the academy, and you were the talk of all the guys. I don’t think anyone will be shocked if you return to being silent. Keep the persona around new people, and feel free to speak your ideas to me. We start building alliances with the other rebel organizations, and if we need to swing your name, we only do it with leaders.”

I nod my head in agreement with him. He smiles and then smirks, “Then when we finally get to the push to kick Hou Ndours out of our land. We reveal you’ve been supporting us and helping lead the troops. Oh, and could you possibly help with training?”

“I can agree to that plan. That will keep me able to watch our backs more efficiently. I don’t have to always be in your plan meetings to be able to hear what your plan is.” I say with a laugh.

“Lupines have excellent hearing and tracking skills, don’t they?” He smiles at me. He offered me his hand to me. “For Redford?”

“For Redford.”