Ch 1.
Drew leaned further over the neck of his horse and urged it to go faster. The trail ahead was rocky, but the slight indentations in the dust, hoof prints, told him that he was on the right track.
It was pure luck that had put him in the right place at the right time. He had trusted luck in the past and it had been a fickle mistress, deserting him just when he needed it, or helping him just when he thought that he was beyond hope. But today, today, he thought, his luck might just hold.
He had been off of the path in the forest when a band of riders had thundered past. If truth be told, he was busy vomiting up the ale he had spent most of the night consuming, but it was luck that had him take his horse off of the trail before he threw up, and it was luck that had blessed him with a shadowy glade that hid him from the riders that rode past. It was also luck that had made him look up from his vomiting just in time to see the beautiful woman ride past. Even through his hangover-addled mind, the details of her had imprinted themselves on his sub-conscious.
Her dark hair had floated behind her on the breeze, and her white dress had blended with her white horse until it had seemed that she was an extension of the magnificent animal. Her dark eyes had flashed, even in the gloom, and Drew had seen that she was extraordinarily beautiful, even though it was clear that she was human and not Fae.
It was not until she had passed, and he was mulling over this vision of beauty that he had remembered details that made him frown.
Her beautiful white dress had been ripped at the hem and shoulder, and was not really suitable for riding. There had been a dark blemish on her cheekbone; dirt or a bruise? And her hands had been bound to the reins in front of her.
The remembrance quickly cleared the fumes that had clouded his mind. A human woman of stunning beauty, dressed in court clothing, riding with a group of Fae soldiers? After some thinking, he shook his head. He could recall the armour and weaponry of the riders who had just passed - they were not dressed in the regalia of the royalty. The armour had been mismatched and tarnished, their weapons had been unsheathed, as if they feared attack at any moment, and they did not ride in any sort of formation. A band of brigands, then? Drew had thought quickly, and then had swung up into the saddle of his horse. Whoever they were, the woman was obviously being held captive. It could possibly be in his best interests to follow and see where it would lead. It was also luck that he had just finished his last job and had not yet found another.
As a mercenary, Drew had found work plentiful in the area of late. The Fae Lords were always notoriously petty in their fights with neighbouring Kingdoms, but until recently the fights had been small skirmishes that were quickly fought, and won or lost with minimal bloodshed. Now, the fights were only just stopping short of full-scale war.
Drew shrugged as this thought passed through his head. Political unrest was always good for business, he chuckled to himself. There was always one Lord or another who was willing to pay top price to swell out the ranks of his army. Drew didn't care what cause he fought for, as long as his purse was full at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, being paid a higher wage for mercenary work also brought the unfortunate side effects of being the first to be gotten rid of when the fights died down. It also earned him the animosity of the soldiers who saw themselves as the just and good fighters of these battles, and the mercenaries as gutter scum who sold their loyalty to the highest bidders.
Drew shrugged his shoulders again as he rode. He had just finished his last job, but an unfortunate night of gambling and drink had left his purse lighter than he would have liked. He had been on his way to a neighbouring kingdom when the excesses of the night before had made him stop. And now he thanked his lucky stars that he had.
He urged his horse again when it hesitated. He had a feeling that what he had seen this morning would be far more lucrative than the possibility of another job in the next kingdom. He grinned to himself and hoped that his luck would hold.
Drew leaned further over the neck of his horse and urged it to go faster. The trail ahead was rocky, but the slight indentations in the dust, hoof prints, told him that he was on the right track.
It was pure luck that had put him in the right place at the right time. He had trusted luck in the past and it had been a fickle mistress, deserting him just when he needed it, or helping him just when he thought that he was beyond hope. But today, today, he thought, his luck might just hold.
He had been off of the path in the forest when a band of riders had thundered past. If truth be told, he was busy vomiting up the ale he had spent most of the night consuming, but it was luck that had him take his horse off of the trail before he threw up, and it was luck that had blessed him with a shadowy glade that hid him from the riders that rode past. It was also luck that had made him look up from his vomiting just in time to see the beautiful woman ride past. Even through his hangover-addled mind, the details of her had imprinted themselves on his sub-conscious.
Her dark hair had floated behind her on the breeze, and her white dress had blended with her white horse until it had seemed that she was an extension of the magnificent animal. Her dark eyes had flashed, even in the gloom, and Drew had seen that she was extraordinarily beautiful, even though it was clear that she was human and not Fae.
It was not until she had passed, and he was mulling over this vision of beauty that he had remembered details that made him frown.
Her beautiful white dress had been ripped at the hem and shoulder, and was not really suitable for riding. There had been a dark blemish on her cheekbone; dirt or a bruise? And her hands had been bound to the reins in front of her.
The remembrance quickly cleared the fumes that had clouded his mind. A human woman of stunning beauty, dressed in court clothing, riding with a group of Fae soldiers? After some thinking, he shook his head. He could recall the armour and weaponry of the riders who had just passed - they were not dressed in the regalia of the royalty. The armour had been mismatched and tarnished, their weapons had been unsheathed, as if they feared attack at any moment, and they did not ride in any sort of formation. A band of brigands, then? Drew had thought quickly, and then had swung up into the saddle of his horse. Whoever they were, the woman was obviously being held captive. It could possibly be in his best interests to follow and see where it would lead. It was also luck that he had just finished his last job and had not yet found another.
As a mercenary, Drew had found work plentiful in the area of late. The Fae Lords were always notoriously petty in their fights with neighbouring Kingdoms, but until recently the fights had been small skirmishes that were quickly fought, and won or lost with minimal bloodshed. Now, the fights were only just stopping short of full-scale war.
Drew shrugged as this thought passed through his head. Political unrest was always good for business, he chuckled to himself. There was always one Lord or another who was willing to pay top price to swell out the ranks of his army. Drew didn't care what cause he fought for, as long as his purse was full at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, being paid a higher wage for mercenary work also brought the unfortunate side effects of being the first to be gotten rid of when the fights died down. It also earned him the animosity of the soldiers who saw themselves as the just and good fighters of these battles, and the mercenaries as gutter scum who sold their loyalty to the highest bidders.
Drew shrugged his shoulders again as he rode. He had just finished his last job, but an unfortunate night of gambling and drink had left his purse lighter than he would have liked. He had been on his way to a neighbouring kingdom when the excesses of the night before had made him stop. And now he thanked his lucky stars that he had.
He urged his horse again when it hesitated. He had a feeling that what he had seen this morning would be far more lucrative than the possibility of another job in the next kingdom. He grinned to himself and hoped that his luck would hold.