It gave Kol no pleasure to be outside during the rain, but as life was it wasn't fair.
Her lack of sleep from the night before did not help her either as she found her self dozing off for minutes at a time. She played with her black armor strapping on and off her gauntlets nervousness of impending attack. She was used to being out late with Richon as a guard but without him to keep her from falling asleep she had nothing to entertain her self with.
It was lightly raining it felt dreary and stuck to her skin making it cold and damp. Her exposed fingers felt the cold most of all, while if it had been dry the night would have been crisp but bearable the rain decided to fall.
Calum and Richon knew she was a girl, they didn't care. Richon even approved greatly of Mor, though most of the males approved the curvy blonde.
Mor was, as Kol thought, infuriatingly complicated. As someone who'd live basically five human lifetimes, there was much to talk about and dispute. While Kol was the younger person I the relationship Mor treated her to be fragile, Kol had worked hard in Hewn for no one to think that. She hadn't grown up immersed in a camp with the same toxic male bravo that the others had grown up with but she'd seen it when she arrived.
While some camps were more progressive, they were all the same cut from the same cloth. Dark hair, olive complexion, and anger issues of varying degrees.
When another came to take her shift she was relieved and tensely walked back to her cot. She fell asleep quickly hoping Hybern wouldn't attack too early. The male bumbled over her had large broad shoulders. She knew him she realized as he grew near rearing his ugly head out of the shadows of the great hulking trees.
Gutter she realized, there was no denying the male as he narrowed tired and weary eyes.
"Soot,"
She would admit she was skeptical this was the male who thrown her in that river. Of course, it was in some form suppose to be 'fun' it drew dark thoughts into her mind. But, the Gutter she knew would've spat on her and stalked off leaving her to the post. Now he just seemed tired as he waved her away shooing her back to the tents.
Kol took to find her way back to the tents letting rainfall onto her face and body washing caked mud off, she knew in time she would start getting sick with all her garments getting wet but she didn't care much. While cold it was nice to be clean to some degree. With a Fae immune system, it was hard to get sick.
Kol wished she remembered what happened in the next battle so she could avoid trouble, but memories of the small dealings of how long the war was and when the battle started were somethings she couldn't remember. She was only (not) human after all.
The time between the battles gave her to relax slightly eat a bit and gather up some courage.
Until she started to dig trenches around the whole dammed camp with the others.
Nobody complained with the general commander around, they knew what he could do. Kjell was beside her digging out the side and throwing dirt above him for others to take away. He had found a way to tie up his hair away from his face it gave her a nice view of his sharp jaw and angular face he was conventionally attractive to all, while very attracted to Mor, Kol also wondered if Kjell would be open to a threesome. Her cheeks burned at the thought.
"So Kol what camp are you from?"
The question burst her free of her thoughts, she looked around as if trying to see if anyone had heard her thoughts. She knew a few camps but the fact there was males from most of them at the camp made her rethink just saying a random one. They all seemed to know which was which.
"Far Northern one, it's very small."
Kjell's eyes twinkled fondly, "I'm from a closer camp grew up with that fucking bastard Cal, he was a little shithead"
Kol snorted they seem to both like insulting each other, she dug deeper her back ached menacingly gracing her with a painful presence. When captains called for a break so was elated to eat the rationed food given out. Kjell was not very impressed with the dull food but ate quickly running off to find Calum or Richon.
It was fortunate now that it had rained when digging dust hadn't flown up in their faces and the slight cold created a heavy layer of calm mist and the sweet smell of petrichor. Kol saw a glimpse of Mor who'd been using away in tents with the Court of Dreams, she had seen Azriel more often coming and going directing scouts.
Kol wandered around aimless, she missed Hewn City. It was simple with the others, she didn't have to worry about the implication of mates. All they did was fight a drink, sometimes those were activities done together. She missed the old mold smell that covered the walls of the barracks. She found it weird one could find happiness in stuff places.
"I brought a drink," Richon offered to limp up, "It's warm."
He gave her the drink, it was in the form of a weak tea she appreciated the aroma of pine. She'd never had tea with pine but it seemed abundant here to use what was of the trees. She stared at the abundance of heavy cloud, grey in shape in the morning light. The light brought pale streams that hit the battlegrounds Kol held her breath and the charred backend land litters with corpses piled one after another drawing in crows the feasted happily on the remains.
With the beheld sight, she felt cold and feverish she flexed her sword hand, opening and closing her fingers. She ran her hand on the pommel of the sword, Hewn steel. It had been forged by master blacksmiths who'd tell tales of the old ways. The crow of that stretched its wing looked like it wanted to fly away and join the feast. She sat down on a damp log stretched out like an old cat after a long nap.
"Thanks, perhaps it will stop the chill," Richon laughed.
"This," he motioned, "Is not even close to cold. We had winters were we'd train and my brothers and I had frozen sweat in our hair making it seize and freezing up."
"That's fucking disgusting."
"I know," he turned smiled lightly, "By the way don't drink more than a cup of that at a time, turns in to a highly powerful laxative," he winked raising his eyebrows up and down, Kol was not as impressed but decided that she'd drink it anyway. "You should know that our people have been drinking it and a long time during the winters when we couldn't get greens and would get sick, it's good for the health pine."
Kol concluded he was talking about the effect of scurvy after a winter, pine was full of vitamins, it was bitter though. Richon sat beside her and started to talk great lengths about his older brother Fallyn who'd cut out other males tongues and fed them to the pigs. She doubted it was true but it was a considerably funny story. She leaned into his shoulder feeling his breath near her cheek and the quiet lub of his heart. He took his hand running it through her hair, she closed her eyes.
"You found you Mate didn't you?" Richon with resentment and a twinge of sadness as he looked forward watching the mist creep. Kol looked up him her olive tone contrasted with the blue of her eyes she wasn't ashamed of Mor, she was in all aspects annoyingly perfect. Their time together was so short and new just blossoming. Kol didn't know if she wanted Richon to know, he was so close to her. At a point, she wished of more from their relationship but it held no appeal to her as it had. She liked the look of Males and Females, that wasn't the problem.
Mor gave her the best feeling in her chest, a sense of utter belonging to someone else. Belonging was something Kol yearned for since arriving, and while her brothers had almost done that the feeling of Mor near was entrancing. They sat on the log for a long time and she was without response.
"I'm going to gather more kindling," Richon limped of grabbing a large ax, he started hucking dead branches off trees, Kol watched as he vigorously cut the wood. She finished her tea long before he finished. Though she knew he'd finished long before that time taking resentment that he held on the trees.
He came over to her again and pulled her up not urgently by the hands, her palms felt nice in his. He had come to a reluctant acceptance.
"Now you would tell me who this Mate is like it matters," he snorts "It's probably Gutter or something," Kol wrinkled her nose he then said something she hadn't expected, "I love you, Soot, and I don't care that you can now beat me up for this shit, I just want to get a house and live away from war, we can have children by the dozen, we'd be free... My brothers have told me my whole life that battle was the only way to glory, the only way to truly be a male. But I don't want that, I want you," He smiled like she was the prettiest flower in a garden.
Her mouth went dry at the proclamation, she thought carefully, "Rich, I-." He kissed he chastely on her pink chapped lips, it was quick and he pulled away fast, she yearned for more of his touch. Mor was her Mate but she was attracted to Richon as someone she realized she loved before the bond. While the bond conjoining her and Mor was magic, their bond was time and friendship.
She kissed him back lightly wrapping her arms around him it was warm and nice. She broke away from the kiss he gave two small kisses it was sweet, she then let go of his hands letting hers fall to her side. The sounds of the distant camp seemed to fade into obscurity.
They stayed in silence for a moment before Kol pulled away.
"I like to think I love you too, but not in the way you love me," she looked at him sincerely, "One day you'll find a female that wants children by the dozen," she laughs lightly and shook her head, "But that's not me."
"Is it Calum? Your mate"
"No, never," She leaned over feeding fresh wood to the burning flames. She left many things unsaid.
"I just wanted to get that out before the next battle," he kicked at the foliage, before turning and gave a smile of amusement his eyes looked hurt, "Who would've thought Charlotte and Richon, out of Hewn into the world."
Then, a captain came through the trees hollering, "moving camp, pack it up."
Kol then groaned she dug all day for nothing.
They were up in the air heading north after only a few hours of rest landing into a clearing of oaks and sycamores under a glamour Kol saw the first glimpse of the Hybern army on Summer Courts Eastern border. The higher-ups gave the warriors a days rest after the flying and winnowing, it was much needed she supposed. Kjell looked wiped, sweat ran down his back. She had to admit she was in the same state.
Nervousness crept through them all making Kol dismiss breakfast while fighting on an empty stomach wasn't ideal, she could seem to stomach a bite of food.
Heavy clouds came from the east showering them in a light rain that grew in temperament in only a moment's notice. but, as the glamour tore away so did Hybern's. Dread ran through her as suddenly they were sent out for battle.
Calum looked over rain ran down his grim face but seemed to be confident his voice waved slightly nodding, "See you all soon."
He then dived quickly turning into a warrior slashing in the lines pushing Hybern attackers away with his sword. Kjell dived after him, always his partner. The twins held a different part of the lines so she'd only seen a slight glimpse of the two as they two dived.
She let herself take a shaky breath, she could fly away, Mor would understand. She wouldn't forgive herself though. Her time away from Earth and into Prythian made her strong.
She turned and let her wings close to her body letting gravity take her towards the battlefield. The sounds of tormented blades and steel met her ears.
Finally, she reached the ground sword and shield ready wind rushing pash her sensitive ears. Her wings unfurled and she touched down keeping her speed to a minimum.
She heard the Commander yell for the lines to hold, she readied her shield keeping Hybern at bay. She was only one warrior, but with all the Illyrians, she was strong. They swore to keep each other strong.
She stabbed at the male front of her, he wailed in defeat snarling wildly as he fell, but another came to meet her, there was no time to think just survive.
She set to push back and stay on the defensive taking Mor's words into account, she ripped through another male when another grabbed at her.
There were hands and swords everywhere.
She tried to anticipate it but found her self hit in the face knocked backward. They kept coming, never stopping like waves of death. That was what scared her in the last battle she got up back aching pushing the attackers backward with a burst of her siphons power making them shield their eyes and cease attack for a small moment.
For that small moment, she felt like she could breathe.
The darkbringers fell first, their lines weakening. Faltering in power and the shadows seemed to shred and diminish into nothingness. They started buckling backward. She yelled and war cries mustering morale as she slashed and tore through the skin with her blade. The battle sounds used to frighten her but now just attuned her senses to battle.
She heard the great roar of Cassian as he told them to fix the line. They scrambled to do so, she drifted closer to Keir's men helping their fight. Her side hurt and the scab split with the movement of her sword arm.
The rain seemed to only increase making the field muddied giving her no grip. The ranks of the darkbringers diminished again Lord Keir trying to keep them together. The battle seemed to rage for lifetimes.
She watched Mor winnow into the battle, she watched her close and she fought and stabbed another she felt sick as she struggled to get here blade out of his chest covered in deep crimson. As she did, a swipe came for her side she blocked it with her gauntlet using her leg to push the male away. Richon would've said that it was way too close.
Arrows rained from above, the captains yelled for shields to be held up, but with the ongoing torrent of attack, Kol hadn't held the shields in time and found an arrow buried deep in her arm. She hadn't noticed at first the adrenaline the pumped through her held her from feeling much of anything until she finally looked at the long object that restricted her movement.
She drew a gasp at the barbed arrow sickly blood leaked out of the wound as she tried to muster a shred of courage as the pain hit. She bit her lip to muffle aloud scream. She held the shield firmly as she tried to desperately gather herself.
Despite the arrow, she kept fighting the rain washed the wound with great torrents of water making it ache in waves of pain. One after the other soldiers fell. She saw Cassian's shadow as he pushed the lines, the Highlord yelled at him as he paid his friend no mind as he watched his friend get slashed, Azriel came in after in a flurry of shadow taking the Hybern commander. She winced as the shadows tore through the man deadly and sharp ripping him into small fleshy pieces.
After that, the lines had held the best they could and after another few minutes, they scrapped the army forward and closed around Hybern. She sucked in a sharp breath desperate for air her lip quivered. The fighting should over soon she hoped. Didn't think she'd be able to handle killing more of them. Her vision grew wary and she started to feel ill. She found herself dislocated from the fighting, the sounds of death and yelling ceased, it was nice.
The quiet.
Her body slumped over defenses weakening but she didn't seem to care. It was so quiet. Her limbs felt lethargically heaving. The attacker started to trickle through her siphons weakly held them off dwindling. Through the mist, someone shook her shoulder, she turned her head slowly to Mor who looked worried. She was pretty, Kol thought, she told her that.
In one swift movement, she was winnowed away from the battle on to a patch of grassy field great knarled oak towered above her spinning slowly. Rain still battered her face, she let it. Kol had not known how long she had laid in the field blood pooled from her wounds as she lay a hand upon them.
She sighed, she was tired. Maybe it was time to go.
She closed her eyes.