The night was dark, cold, and still.There was a sense of gentle, quiet peace but a hush that pressed down like a warning. The sky hung bright with stars, moonlight hidden, and the only sound was the soft crunch of gravel beneath carriage wheels as I returned home.
Home, for now, was Dravaris Estate—the ancestral manor that loomed in shadows at the edge of Velmira. My boots touched the stone path the moment the carriage slowed, the driver giving a short nod as I stepped down.
I paused at the gates. Something felt…off.
The estate was always quiet, but this quiet was unfamiliar. My sister, Lora, was usually the first to greet me whether with snide remarks or relentless questions. Yet the house stood still, wrapped in the deep hush of midnight.
Just as I opened the heavy oak doors, a voice rang out from the staircase above.
"And where is the Duke coming from at this fine hour?"
There she was.
Lora descended the staircase barefoot, wrapped in a thick robe, her hair loosely braided over one shoulder. She smiled brightly, arms open.
I allowed a rare smile as she pulled me into a hug.
"Why is my little pest awake at this hour?" I asked, returning the embrace with surprising warmth.
"Because my dearest brother decided to disappear, and I had a strong feeling you were off seeing Anna," she said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "So I waited for the full story."
I sighed, brushing past her toward the sitting room.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I have nothing to tell you."
"Nothing?" She followed behind me, arms folded. "You expect me to believe that you visited your future duchess and nothing interesting happened?"
I poured myself a drink, swirling the glass thoughtfully before replying.
"Excitingly, I'll tell you… nothing."
The smirk I gave her was both teasing and evasive.
Lora groaned, flopping onto the nearby settee. "I see what you're doing."
"What?" I asked, settling into a chair.
"You're twisting my words. But mark my words, brother I will get the gist out of you, even if I have to pester you until dawn."
"You're welcome to try," I said smugly, lifting my glass.
Before she could launch another threat, the door creaked open. A knock preceded the quiet creak of the door.
A soldier stepped inside, his boots clicking softly on the stone floor, his posture stiff with discipline. He bowed low, hand to chest.
"My Lord."
He remained silent, awaiting permission to speak—an old formality I neither enforced nor corrected.
I nodded. "Go on."
Before the man could speak, his gaze shifted and only then did he seem to realize lora was present. She sat near the hearth, her fingers lightly clasped in her lap, curiosity clear on her face.
The soldier straightened slightly, clearing his throat.
"Apologies, my lady. I didn't see you right away." He bowed again, this time with the reverence due to someone of her station.
Lora smiled, her tone light. "Apology accepted."
She was always like that open, friendly, and warm to everyone, regardless of their rank. It disarmed people. It sometimes made others underestimate her.
My voice cut gently through the pause. "Carry on."
The soldier drew a breath, then spoke.
"My Lord, I've come to inform you—General Aedric has departed. He and his men left for the west at first light."
My reaction was quiet, unreadable. I gave a slow nod.
"Good."
There was little to say. I knew this moment was coming. I just hadn't expected it so soon.
The soldier shifted. "If there's nothing else, my Lord, I'll return to my post."
"Very well."
"Thank you, my Lord. My lady."
With a final respectful bow, he turned and disappeared into the corridor, the door closing silently behind him.
A brief stillness settled again.
Just as I expected, Lora broke the silence first.
"What do you think is beyond the borders?" She asked softly, "What will the general face... or rather, what will he see when he gets there?"
Her voice carried that same curious tone she always had like someone who didn't mind peering into dark corners if it meant understanding them.
I didn't answer right away. I let my gaze wander toward the shadows stretched across the windows, letting the quiet settle before answering.
"I have absolutely no idea," I said honestly. "But if I catch even the slightest hint, you'll be the first to know."
I shifted my eyes back to her, the corner of my mouth tugging slightly. "Now, it's late. I suggest you get to bed."
"No," she said firmly, raising her brows. "You don't think you'll get rid of me that easily, do you?"
I exhaled, amused but defeated.
"Fine," I said, nodding once. "I'll tell you everything tomorrow, but only if you go to sleep now."
That earned me a bright, victorious smile the kind that always softened her face and, unknowingly, my resolve.
She rose from her seat with a graceful ease and stepped close. Without another word, she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek, her touch warm against the chill that lingered in the room.
"Good night," she whispered, already turning to bound lightly up the staircase, the hem of her gown catching the candlelight.
I watched lora until she disappeared from my view, a quiet smile resting on my lips before it faded. The house fell still once again.
Outside, the winds shifted.
And far beyond Velmira, under the veil of the sleeping forests at the western edge… the first torchlight flickered into sight.
.....
The cold breeze cut through the armor and cloth as my soldiers and I rode in silence toward the west. The sky had begun to darken, the last light of dusk casting long shadows. We had been riding since morning, and the weariness was beginning to show.
I could hear murmurs drifting up from the rear.
"I'm getting tired—we've been riding since dawn," one soldier grumbled.
"And now it's dusk," another replied, his tone weaker than the first.
"I swear, I'll collapse before we even reach the outpost."
"No rest, no water, no break all day," someone else muttered.
I said nothing, but my grip on the reins tightened. I should've left the soft ones behind, I thought bitterly.
Their complaining grew louder, rippling like restless wind through the ranks.
"We'll make camp here," I finally said, halting my horse and swinging down to the ground.
There was a beat of silence, then one voice spoke up, hesitant.
"Here?"
I turned slightly. "Would you rather ride through the night?"
"No, Commander," he said quickly, then added, "It's just... this place doesn't feel safe."
"Then feel free to walk yourself back to Velmira." My voice was cold, edged with steel.
The others fell silent.
"I suggest you all manage with what the General provides," another soldier muttered with forced cheer, breaking the tension.
...
Men moved with practiced rhythm. Tents were raised in neat rows, fires sparked to life beneath iron pots, and smiths hammered steel back into shape beside anvil stones. Horses were led to a nearby stream, their restless snorts filling the silence.
But something was wrong.
Despite the noise of the camp, the land remained deathly still. No wind. No birds. No crickets chirping in the underbrush.
"It's too quiet," one of the scouts muttered as he passed.
Aedric stood near the center of camp, eyes fixed on the pines that lined the far edge of the clearing. They bent at odd angles as if recoiling from some unseen force.
"Sir," a young soldier called, approaching. "Shall we send scouts to the ridge?"
Aedric didn't answer immediately. He stared into the darkness.
"Two scouts," he said finally. "No more."
The soldier nodded and turned to relay the order.
Elsewhere in camp, soldiers sharpened blades, told hushed jokes, and cast wary glances toward the forest. One of them, a broad-shouldered archer, spoke around the fire "I'd rather sleep in a viper's den than spend another night with that silence creeping up my spine."
Soft laughter followed but none of it reached their eyes.
As dusk deepened, camp lanterns flickered to life. Shadows stretched long across the field. Aedric passed the camp scribe, who sat by a crate of supplies, scratching names and orders onto parchment.
"All settled for the night, General?"
Aedric paused.
"For the night… perhaps."
He walked on, hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, the silence trailing him like a second shadow.
Something was watching.
And the forest was holding its breath.
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Hey everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who reached out or kept reading. Because of you, I've decided to continue sharing this story.
New chapters are coming soon. Thank you.
- Sussex ✨