As they rode, he mentally prepared for what they would face. Isabella had said the Wandering Nightmares were ethereal shadows which floated above the ground. Skull-Strike hadn’t had any luck attempting to bring them down, and he was more formidable than many of the other fighters.
Edward had to remind himself he was currently using the moniker Bone-Crusher. They all used their battle names during training, and he thought he could recall each of them when necessary, but he might slip up. His royal title was equally new and different to him; becoming Bone-Crusher, a high paladin, had never been within reach in his mind. Neither had the thought of protecting Isabella with his own life. Widow-Maker was fearsome, he had to give her credit for that, and he hoped it meant he wouldn’t need to fear for her safety. At the moment, however, he was terrified he would fail her.
The sky was changing colors, becoming purple and pink near the horizon. It would be nightfall soon, and he knew more terrors lurked there in the dark than in the light. He found himself praying for protection, hoping the eternal blessings they’d been given covered severe injuries. How fast could one recover from a mortal wound, after all? Immortal or not, they could be killed.
It was a fact he remained keenly aware of despite his efforts to the contrary.
As they marched on, a low mist hugged the grass. It seemed to swirl and pulse, moving and curling around the horse’s hooves. He suppressed a shiver when he spotted the bent and gnarled trees in the distance, trunks blackened and limbs beckoning them to their death.
The Purifier began chanting, her eyes closed as her horse plodded along. They moved in no great hurry, though Edward would prefer to race through at breakneck speed. He feared not for himself, only for Isabella and Garrett. He’d never realized before how difficult it would be to watch the ones he loved face certain catastrophe.
Skull-Strike kept a hand on his mate’s horse, guiding it to remain next to his own. The mist cleared in the smallest section as they moved through, and Edward craned his neck to watch it close back behind the last of the wolves. He felt a tightening in his chest, and then one of the creatures appeared by his side. It hovered, a hooded cloak with no body to hold it afloat.
“Don’t meet its eyes,” Widow-Maker hissed. “The Purifier’s incantation is quite helpful, but it is not perfect.”
“What eyes?” he whispered back. “There’s nothing in that face, if that’s what you can call it.”
“Do not look at it, end of story.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. He was only mildly curious how its evilness worked, but certainly not enough to test the boundaries. It grew colder and colder around them, the mist morphing into snow. The nasty thing hovered nearer but never touched him, following him for some time before drifting off. They made it deeper into the woods before he noticed they were being followed. Several Wandering Nightmares trailed on either side of their party, hovering mere feet from the horses. Edward’s jaw ached with the amount of tension radiating through it.
They came upon a dip in the ground, a wide opening which might have once been a lake but was now dry. They moved across it as the snow crunched under their horse’s hooves. It was unnervingly silent with only the occasional huff from an animal’s breath to break through. He heard a wolf’s low growl and the hair on the back of his neck stood upright. They were completely surrounded by silent sentinels, above, to each side, and behind. He kept his gaze trained on Isabella, refusing to be intimidated. The Purifier kept on with her spells, never faltering, and he found a new respect for Rosalie.
“Do not engage,” Dark-Sorrow ordered as more in their party grew restless.
Bone-Crusher prayed the others would listen to her and they could make it out of the god-forsaken place quickly enough. He would close his eyes if he thought he could continue to ride blindly. He groped for Widow-Maker’s hand and held it so tightly he felt their bones rub together.
“Only a little farther,” she assured him.
“Your calm is admirable.” His muscles were tensed, clamped down to resist the urge to flee.
“It’s only outward, I assure you.”
Well, at least there was that. Light was harder to come by as they cleared the dip in the ground and moved ever forward. They were steady, riding as a unit. He felt the anticipation of being done with that place as a physical entity racing through his veins. No Man’s Land was just on the other side of the forest, and then they would make camp for the night. With luck, The Forsaken would not be close to them and they would get some rest before the inevitable confrontation. Darkness had nearly surrounded them as surely as the Nightmares had when his mate spoke up.
“See the light up ahead?”
He peered into the distance. “Aye.”
It wasn't much, merely multiple shades of the sunset shining through the dense trees in tiny slivers. It gave him hope, the most he’d felt on their journey thus far. The misty escort they were stuck with would leave them be soon, and he could breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
“Hold your positions,” Dark-Sorrow yelled, and Edward frowned. To whom was Esme speaking?
“Rogue-Blood, no!”
Edward craned his neck to see who had shouted.
“I can’t see!” a woman screamed.
“I’ve got you! Don’t move!” a man replied.
“What?”
Edward’s heart raced at the heated exchange. Rogue-Blood and her mate, Stone-Stride, struggled to continue as the effects of a Wandering Nightmare stole her senses. Stone-Stride held her horse’s reins for her and placed his hand on her back. Eleazar shouted directly in Carmen's ear, but she shook her head continuously.
“Archwarriors, surround them!” Dark-Sorrow ordered.
There were three remaining archwarriors, and two of them flanked Rogue-Blood and Stone-Stride while a third rode behind Rogue-Blood’s horse.
“We’re almost through! Don’t let her fall from her horse.”
Edward focused on Dark-Sorrow’s words and on his own mate as they neared the break in the trees. He never wanted to experience that again; they could tunnel under the blasted forest on the way back.
They were only a few feet from the treeline when he saw the Nightmares move away one by one. The Purifier continued her chants, her voice hoarse and her body slumped in her saddle. It was only once they cleared the small rise leading to the valley making up No Man’s Land that all the tension drained from Edward’s body. He looked at Isabella and saw the grim set of her mouth.
“Will she be all right?” he asked.
“She will, but it takes time for it to wear off. Right now, she can’t hear, see, smell, taste, or feel. If she remembers our lessons on allowing yourself to be guided and not struggling, she will be fine. It’s difficult, I imagine, when you can’t feel the hand on your arm or hear the reassurances from the others.”
“I imagine it must.”
Dark-Sorrow held up a hand when they reached the approximate center of the field. “We’ll break here. Rage-Scream, Skull-Strike, Rogue-Blood, and Stone-Stride will rest. Those taking first watch are Gore-Helm, Grave-Keeper, Wolf-Hammer, and Eternal-Fury. Iron-Shadow, Venom-Tongue, you will sit for fifteen minutes before scouting. The rest of you will help set up camp.”
Eleazar assisted Carmen from her horse and sat her on a folded blanket set out by Irina before she joined Didyme in sitting for their allotted fifteen minutes. Rosalie leaned on Emmett as he brought her to a small patch of sunlight to sit in. Isabella joined the remaining warriors in pulling out their gear to set up for the night. Edward and Garrett assured each other they were both in one piece before they pitched in.
“What happens if the scouts come back and tell us The Forsaken are bearing down, and here we are setting up tents?”
Jasper stopped working and looked at Edward. “You know, you have a good point. They don’t typically get a break before they head out, but everyone was rattled after what happened to Carmen.”
“We don’t lose concentration because we set up for the night,” Isabella said.
“It will work out,” Alise agreed.
Esme came over to see how they were doing. “You handled Winter Forest well, Edward.”
He snorted. “It did not feel as such.”
She patted his arm. “None of us enjoy that place, and we are all seasoned warriors. You did well.”
“Thank you, your highness.”
Esme smirked at him before walking off, and he remembered too late he wasn’t meant to call her that anymore.
“She never gives false praise, husband.”
He looked up into his wife’s eyes. The pride in their brandy depths was touching. “I wouldn't be surprised if she merely wanted to boost my confidence.”
“Nay.” Isabella took his hand. “She would phrase it in such a way as to ensure you knew what needed to be worked on without breaking your spirit. She praises you because you are worthy.”
Edward leaned in to kiss her lightly. “I strive to be worthy of you.”
“And you are.”
They went back to driving stakes into the ground to hold the tent in place. They were aligned closely in a circle, each couple having their own. The four women who weren’t accompanied by a mate would double up. Inside were thinly stuffed pallets they’d unrolled and several blankets.
By the time they were all finished setting up, Iron-Shadow and Venom-Tongue were returning to camp.
“They are several miles out, camped on the ridge,” Venom-Tongue announced as she dismounted.
Esme and Carlisle stood in the center of the circle where they were building a fire pit. “And you are certain you were not seen?”
“Aye, chieftess.”
“Did you see any of them outside their tents?”
“They’re as tall as we were told,” Iron-Shadow replied. “From such a distance, I gauged them to be wiry instead of bulky.”
Esme nodded. “We keep watch overnight and scout again at dawn’s break.” She looked around. “Storm-Heart, Doom-Hallow, Venom-Tongue, and Iron-Shadow will take second watch. Sleep now; you will be woken in four hours.”
The four she named slipped into their tents. The four on first watch set up at the top of the crest farthest from the forest. The rest of them gathered around the fire Carlisle had set ablaze.
“They’ll know we’re here.”
Emmett nodded at Edward. “They most likely already do.”
“Comforting thought.”
“They’re cowards at the core,” Rosalie declared, reclining on her elbows. “My guess is they’ll not attack until midmorning.”
“We do not know for certain,” Alise reminded her.
“No, and that is why we have two sets of warriors posted on watch throughout the night.”
Edward nodded at his mate’s statement. “We will sleep in our clothes.”
“We will.”
Alise giggled. “Can you imagine the call being sent up and we all stumble out in nightdresses—or worse, naked?”
They all chuckled at the thought. Edward figured they needed a few lighthearted moments before the true test came the next day.
Because it was coming, and there was nothing to be done for it.
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