Free Behind The Wooden Door by Emily Godwin

to his men.
    The man who walked from the crowd was tall and skinny. He didn’t look much like a soldier to me. His beard was scraggly, and his dark hair was speckled with gray. He was much older than most of the men and not nearly as strong.
    “Commander,” Rueben said saluting.
    “I need someone to lead a group of men into the east side of the castle. You’re the only one in this group who’s had any experience in leading a regiment. Look for any entrance that will get you in and spare no one. Cormac, you’ll go west. Branton, south.”
    Branton eyed Rueben like he was a roach, but the elder man didn’t notice.
    “What about me?” I asked and stepped forward.
    I now knew how Tommy felt the day I had met him. Tristan giving orders while he anxiously awaited his assignment. Now he was locked inside Artair’s castle having God knows what done to him.
    Tristan said nothing; he just stared at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he too was thinking the same thing.
    “She can go in with me,” Cormac said. “Your mind isn’t in a place where you can look out for her. Tommy is your main focus, and you need to keep it that way while we’re in there. I’ll keep Lanie safe.”
    Tristan placed both hands on my shoulders and closed his eyes as if looking at me was too much for him.
    “Don’t stray from Cormac. Stay as close to him as you can no matter what. I hope you won’t have to use that sword, but if you do, don’t hesitate because Artair’s men won’t. And whatever happens, keep your eyes open and be ready,” he said.
    He turned to Cormac. “I’m getting tired of having that conversation with the people I care about.”
    Ten minutes later, all the soldiers separated and stood behind their leaders. Tristan lead his men straight through the forest. Branton and Rueben went toward the right.
    I watched the rise and fall of Cormac’s chest as he faced his men and me.
    He drew his sword and held it high it the air, and all the men around me did the same.
    “I don’t know what will be waiting on the other side of these trees. We know how they fight, but this is different. We’re on their territory now. In their home,” Cormac’s deep voice floated through the dangerous night air, but somehow it calmed the fear in me.
    “Not all of us will make it out of here, but I want all of you to know that I am glad to have been the man to lead you into battle.” He placed his fist over his heart. “Revern zaunt! Revern zaush!”
    The men all placed their fists over their hearts as well.
    “What did those last words mean?” I asked Cormac quietly.
    “When we joined Tristan’s army, we all had to recite the same thing. Those were the last four words of it. In our language they mean ‘never falter’ and ‘never fail.’”
    I knew these men wouldn’t falter or fail, and as of right now, I was a soldier in this army, and I mustn’t either.
    And with our fist over our hearts, we began to march.

 
    CHAPTER 12
    Our shadows moved as one across the never ending beige stones of Norric’s castle. The cloudless night was cold, and I felt death’s chilling breath on every inch of my skin. The crescent moon was all we needed to light our way through the bloodstained night. The autumn leaves below our feet whispered warnings of what waited for us on the other side of the walls, but the solemn soldiers never stopped marching.
    Every one of us would fight as Tristan had every day. Ruthlessly and unshielded by armor. These men were more of a family than my father and I had ever been to one another. If I had been locked in Artair’s dungeon, I don’t know if my father would have come for me.
    Cormac stopped abruptly and peered around the side of the rounded tower. He pulled back quickly and flattened himself against the wall. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as if thinking what his next move should be. Straightening himself, he signaled to the soldier behind me.
    He was one of the youngest soldiers in the army; he