XV: Distraction

They say cities are impressively huge. That buildings packed in all around you make you feel small. In truth, tame, human-built structures make you feel safe. It doesn't matter if they tower over you, those houses and towers and vast halls are merely proof of civilisation and society's protecting embrace.

They say forests make you feel lost and bare to the elements. That anything could be spying on you. In truth, amongst the trees and foliage you can make use of cover. It may not be so clearly marked as our territory, but humans know how to survive in forests. There is some vestige of instinct there.

No. It was the unnatural terrain we trekked across that left me feeling small and bare. Hacked down to stumps in a wide radius around the port town's walls, trees provided no cover. It was no different from walking across an open plain. I found myself waiting for the rain of arrows from the tree line up ahead. I caught myself hunching down in the saddle, unable to decide whether I wanted to spur my horse forward and reach cover more quickly or loiter and perhaps stay out of range of a volley. Even that I had finally quieted my babbling mouth did nothing to raise my mood.

“Did they do this at Taovak?” Wrathwrought said suddenly.

It took a second for my startled brain to comprehend the words.

“Fort Taovak needed lumber and leaving trees right up to the walls would have meant undetected enemies knocking at our door,” I replied after a bewildered pause, my voice as terse as my muscles were tense. “We never managed to cut the forest this far back. The enemy did that for us, making catapults.”

“Nice of them.”

“Not really.”

“I suppose not,” he said, before yawning and stretching his arms over his head, a small smirk spreading over his features. “Ruins the view.”

I glowered at him for his casual tone and teasing smile. Intolerable man. The more I looked at him, the more I realised that he found my evident fear funny; he was enjoying showing me just how at ease he was with this whole blasted situation. Mocking me under the thin guise of friendliness. He made me so furious I could hardly think of anything else beyond mashing his face to a bloody pulp, gathering up the remains and feeding them to a pack of worgs.

Before I knew it, we were in the forest.