Chapter 163- Holding the Line
Lexy
I didn’t like the idea of retreating. The word alone tasted bitter on my tongue, like something rancid I was forced to swallow. But the safety of my people was more important than my pride, more important than my urge to push forward until Adrian and Kael were nothing more than bad memories. Still, the frustration coiled in my gut like a viper ready to strike.
Once we reached a safe point — a narrow ridge with an open line of sight in three directions — I finally called a halt. The forest thinned here, giving us breathing room and enough visibility to see trouble coming before it could catch us off guard. My warriors shifted restlessly, their breaths still ragged from our swift retreat.
“We can’t go too far,” I stated to the team, my voice firm enough to cut through their murmurs. My eyes scanned their faces, noting the anger, the disappointment, the raw hunger to turn back and finish what we started. I felt all of it myself.
“What’s the next step, my queen?” Tarria asked, stepping closer. Even now, there was no hint of doubt in her tone — only readiness. Her loyalty was something I never took for granted.
“We need to keep an eye out for their next move. They can’t get away again,” I responded, letting my voice harden just enough to leave no room for uncertainty.
I turned to Tarria fully, meeting her gaze. “I need you to do what you do best, Tarria. Track them, watch them, make sure they don’t vanish into the shadows. But you’re not going alone this time. Choose one of the warriors to take with you.” My eyes swept to the rest of the group. “We’ll hold here while the other two return from reporting to CJ.”
Tarria nodded once, sharp and sure, before scanning the warriors. She chose Kade, a broad-shouldered fighter whose quiet presence belied his lethal efficiency. Good choice. Kade didn’t waste words, and he could hold his own against more than one opponent if things turned bad.
While the pair prepared to move, I addressed the rest. “We’re not breaking formation until I say so. Our position gives us enough cover and enough high ground to see trouble before it reaches us. That’s our advantage now — we hold it.”
The warrior twins, Loran and Marek, exchanged a glance before Marek spoke. “And if Adrian’s men circle back?”
I let a thin smile cross my lips. “Then we welcome them. This time, on our terms.”
Tarria and Kade slipped into the trees without another word, their movements swift and silent. I tracked their path until they vanished completely. The forest closed behind them like a living thing, swallowing their presence.
The quiet settled heavily after their departure. I paced the perimeter of our small encampment, the dry crunch of leaves under my boots the only sound. Every so often, I stopped to listen — not just for movement, but for the subtle shifts in the air that often came before trouble.
My mind replayed the confrontation we had just retreated from. We’d been close. Too close. If not for the sudden arrival of Adrian’s reinforcements, we could’ve ended this. That sting — of being outnumbered and forced to pull back — burned hotter the more I thought about it.
Loran approached from my right, his expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. “You’re not one to stay still for long, my queen.”
“I’m not staying still,” I replied. “I’m waiting. There’s a difference.”
He smirked faintly. “Waiting to strike?”
“Always.”
Time stretched thin in that clearing. The wind picked up, stirring the scent of pine and damp earth. Marek worked on reinforcing a makeshift barricade of fallen logs and thorny branches while Loran kept watch along the ridge’s edge. I moved between them, checking their work and scanning the forest for signs of movement.
A faint rustle to the east caught my attention. I froze, hand instinctively resting on the hilt of my blade. Two heartbeats later, the sound resolved into familiar footsteps — the returning messengers.
Rynn and Sol broke through the tree line, their faces drawn and serious. “CJ’s been informed and so has the alliance,” Rynn said, his voice low. “They are sending reinforcements, but it’ll take time.”
“How much time?” I asked.
“Half a day, maybe more if the river crossing slows them,” Sol replied.
Half a day. In battle terms, that might as well have been a lifetime. Still, it was better than nothing. “Good. We hold until they get here.”
Rynn frowned. “And Tarria?”
“She’s on their trail,” I answered. “She knows the terrain better than anyone, and she’s got Kade with her. They’ll feed us the enemy’s movements before they can regroup.”
The words came out steadily, but in truth, sending her back into danger so soon made my chest tighten. Tarria had a habit of putting herself in the line of fire without hesitation, and while that made her invaluable, it also made her irreplaceable — in a way that I wasn’t ready to face if things went wrong.
Night began to creep in slowly, the sun bleeding gold through the canopy before dipping low. I ordered a rotation of watches, making sure there was always someone alert while the others rested. I didn’t rest.
Hours passed. The forest spoke in its usual language — the chirp of insects, the distant call of a nightbird, the soft sway of branches in the wind. Then, the silence shifted. Too sudden. Too complete.
A shadow moved at the edge of the tree line. My fingers tightened around my weapon, but it was only Tarria, emerging with Kade at her side. Relief cut through me before I could stop it.
“They’ve split,” Tarria reported, her voice urgent. “Adrian and Kael went in different directions, each with a squad. Looks like they’re trying to make it harder to track them both.”
“Which direction did Adrian take?” I asked immediately.
“Northwest. Toward the old mining pass. Kael went east.”
I didn’t hesitate. “We stay on Adrian. If we cut the head from the snake, the rest will scatter. Kael can wait.”
Kade stepped forward. “They’re moving fast. If we want to catch up, we can’t wait for CJ’s reinforcements.”
“I know,” I said, meeting his gaze. “But rushing in without numbers will only get us cornered again.”
Tarria frowned, clearly wanting to push forward now, but I shook my head. “We’ll move at first light. That gives us time to plan, to set traps along the path. If Adrian thinks we’re still licking our wounds, he won’t be ready for us.”
The fire in her eyes dimmed slightly, but she nodded. “Understood, my queen.”
The rest of the night passed in tense anticipation. None of us spoke much — every thought was focused on the coming morning. When dawn finally broke, the forest felt different, sharper, as if it knew what was coming.
We broke camp quickly, leaving no trace behind. As we set out toward the mining pass, I felt the familiar shift within me — the quiet, cold readiness that always came before a fight. This time, we weren’t running.
This time, we’d be the ones waiting in the shadows.
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