Of Blood And Snow - Paranormal Romance Serial Ebook

Chapter 2

Corazon paced his quarters, thinking about tonight’s patrols and a million other things. A messenger had brought a report that the second garrison was under attack and another brought a message that the thirteenth and twenty-first company were on their way to his fort. The seventeenth company were to move to reinforce the third garrison when the thirteenth left.

It was a bad idea.

The seventeenth company had suffered great losses during the last night attack two weeks ago. The humans had created some kind of small bombs and had thrown them over the walls, destroying the seventeenth’s quarters within the fort and taking many lives.

That night had seen eleven soldiers in his company injured too. One had died. They needed more soldiers, but sending the seventeenth to the third garrison in exchange for the thirteenth was ordering them to commit suicide. Their numbers were half that of the thirteenth and they were in no state to join the hellhole known as the third garrison. It was the front line of the war.

It was where they sent soldiers to die.

So many had been lost there. Countless souls. Even people he knew—people that he had come through the ranks with many seasons ago.

Corazon sat down and brought his feet up onto his desk, crossing them and staring at his immaculate boots. A sigh escaped him but he didn’t allow another to follow. These long winter nights always brought thoughts of his past with them, and he had learnt to control the feelings they evoked. It was normal to think about life when faced with snow deep enough to drown a man and silence so cold that it hurt, but it was the loneliness that got to most. Leave didn’t come to many, especially those in the lower ranks. It was seen as something special, awarded to the best and longest serving. He didn’t care for it himself. The younglings were still under the illusion that returning home was an option.

They didn’t know that home was long gone, lost to the humans.

There were only human settlements outside the walls of the garrisons now. They had moved everyone inside. The graves that marked the deaths of many vampires had been destroyed, their testament to the souls of the departed erased from the land.

“Captain Corazon.” The door swung open, allowing a gust of chill air into the room. The papers on his desk danced around and his eyes slid to rest on the man who had disturbed his solitude.

“Captain Barlow,” Corazon said, voice emotionless as he perused the stout bald man. Barlow fidgeted with his eye patch, something Corazon had noticed the captain of the seventeenth company did when nervous. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Night has fallen, the watch must be decided.”

Corazon looked out of the small window at the courtyard. There were many soldiers gathered, far more than he remembered ordering to attend the watch.

“The duty roster was decided last week. The seventeenth have patrol tonight.”

“But the seventeenth is diminished. Did you not receive the notice from General Violet? She has commanded a section of the seventh company to join us.”

Corazon rifled through his papers, frowning as he searched for the notice. He found it hidden beneath a stack of messages about sending the seventeenth to the third garrison. He hid those, unsure whether Barlow knew of the plan to send him and his men to the front line.

He stared at the message from General Violet.

“I cannot allow this,” he said and tossed the piece of paper onto the desk.

“Why not?” There was a hint of venom on Barlow’s voice.

“Because my men need rest. Since the attack, they have been patrolling twice as often as the other companies. We lost men that night too. Many are still in sick bay recovering.”

“But we only need half—”

Corazon stood and slammed his fist down onto the table, silencing Barlow. “I don’t give a damn what you need. Some of the men in question have spent the past three nights on the walls. They are off duty tonight.”

“But you can’t disobey—”

“I can and I will. General Violet doesn’t know the situation here. I will send word to her and ask for relief, but I cannot spare my men’s rest. Seventeenth and twelfth companies can take patrol.”

He waved a hand to dismiss Barlow but he didn’t move. Looking at him, he could see that he was thinking hard. Why? Was he trying to see if there was another reason behind his outburst, behind why he didn’t want to send these particular men to the wall tonight?

He stared at the list. He hated to admit it, but if General Violet had asked him to put any other men on duty, he would’ve said yes. He closed his eyes, held the sigh inside, and then raised his head and looked at Barlow.

“You can have six out of the nine. Three need their rest. The others have only been on duty two nights.” He didn’t like to compromise, but doing this was better than giving Barlow a reason to suspect something.

He took up his pen and wrote a short message to General Violet detailing the situation. Carrying it with him, he walked out into the courtyard and signalled a messenger. He handed the young man the letter and waved him away.

The silence in the courtyard was deafening.

He looked at his men, at the nine gathered to the right of Barlow’s company, separate from the rest of the seventh.

“I have orders to assign six of you to the wall tonight,” Corazon said and their eyes remained straight ahead but he could see the tension in them. They wanted to know who the six were and he wasn’t about to keep them waiting. “Privates Milton and Aradne will be off duty tonight, as will Lance Corporal—”

“No,” Barlow interjected and Corazon shot him a glare. Barlow held it and there was darkness in his eye that betrayed how close to changing he was. Corazon walked over to him, using the extra height he had over him to his advantage as he stared him down.

“No?” he said, his tone as cold as the night air.

“I will not spare your lance corporal. She is required tonight to lead your men. I will not have a group of privates manning the wall without a superior officer to command them.” Barlow’s expression remained unchanged, showing Corazon that he had no intention of changing his mind.

Corazon looked across the courtyard at the lance corporal in question.

Scarlet.

He could see the fatigue in her eyes. She hadn’t been sleeping well recently. That much he knew without her telling him but he didn’t know the real reason behind it. This would be her fourth night in a row on duty. He couldn’t allow it.

“I will not spare my lance corporal. She must have rest or she will be of no use to this fort.” He looked at the floor for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then stared straight at Barlow. “I will stand in her stead.”

“What?” The combined voices of Barlow and Scarlet rang in his ears.

He kept his back to Scarlet but didn’t let her outburst go unchecked. “Back in line, Lance Corporal.”

He heard her move back and focused his attention on Barlow.

“This is most unusual. If General Violet hears of this—”

“Then I will answer to her, as will you. The matter is decided, Captain Barlow. I will join my men tonight on the watch.”

He turned and swiftly walked back into his quarters, slamming the door behind him. This was foolish of him. If Barlow paid close enough attention then he’d see straight through the smokescreen to the truth. But he couldn’t have Scarlet on duty again tonight, not when she was so tired. If there was an attack, she would be useless and her wits wouldn’t be sharp enough to command the company. He would have to intervene either way and mount the wall. At least this way, if there were an attack, she would be safe in the barracks with the rest of his company.

He knew how unusual it was for a captain to patrol the wall, but in a way it would be nice to be back up there, watching the stars and listening to the night as it spoke to him.

Taking his thick wool cape down from the hook on the wall, he placed it over the back of his chair. He put his leather covered light armour on and buckled up the belt that held his scabbard. Sliding the sword into its sheath, he made sure he was presentable and then wrapped the cape around him and fastened it.

He took the steps to the East Wall quickly and breathed in deep when he reached the top. A smile faltered on his lips. He could see for miles, right to the distant mountains where his home had once been and where the second garrison was. The clear night afforded him a spectacular view of the world, one he so rarely got to see now he was a captain.

Corazon leaned against the wall and stared out over the glittering forest. The snow was fresh and untouched in the paths and gullies between the trees. There hadn’t been an attack in a few days, but everyone was expecting one soon.

The stars twinkled at him, shimmering in the sky and drawing his attention there. Winter was beautiful, his favourite season. He watched the clouds drifting on the horizon, billowing puffy white ones that spoke of snow.

The night drew on and silence stretched into infinity, carrying his thoughts with it as he paced his section of the wall. He turned to pace back and frowned when he saw Scarlet leaning against the wall, her cape wrapped tight around her. She was shivering. He could see that even at this distance. The temperature had dropped low enough that even he could feel it tonight. To an unseasoned soldier like her, it would be bitterly cold.

He walked over to her and studied her profile, wondering what she was thinking as she stared into the distance. The first flakes of snow danced down and landed softly on her black cape. They didn’t melt. More flakes joined them, settling in her hair and on her hands where they were clasped in front of her.

He looked out at the distant mountains, watching the snowfall as it shone in the broken moonlight, and then his eyes slid across to her as he rested his elbows on the wall.

“Is something troubling you?” Corazon said, so low it was almost a whisper. It was his place as her captain to discover what had her so out of spirits. She was distant in her thoughts every time he saw her these days and he couldn’t have her like that when she was on duty. She would make an easy target.

“Why did you take my place?” Scarlet said with a sigh and looked at him. She was too young to be here, too new to this world and too frightened in her heart. She put on a brave face, tried to be strong, but he knew how scared she was deep down inside. He knew because he’d been like her once—frightened, alone and desperate to go home to the villages. “The whole garrison is speaking of it.”

He looked back at the mountains. “Because you needed your rest. Yet you seem to be disobeying my command and not resting at all. If this continues, I may have to throw you in a holding cell for not following orders.”

“I can’t sleep,” she said and he saw she was staring at her hands now as she chafed them.

He wanted to say that he’d noticed but couldn’t bring himself to. He was her superior officer, not a friend, yet sometimes he felt as though he was.

Sometimes he felt as though he was her only friend here.

He’d watched her with the others. None of the men from the other companies spoke to her, and with so few women around, it seemed she was doomed to a lonely life. Even her own comrades barely exchanged niceties with her. Milton and Aradne were her closest companions.

But then there were those who had taken a dislike to her.

His first lieutenant for example.

Ever since that day when she’d been caught with the poisoned arrow, Lieutenant Troy had said nothing but bad things about her in his reports. Corazon had ignored every one of them, knowing that they were mostly false. She did have a temper though, and she was strong minded. So hard headed that her and Troy were bound to have come to blows since their personalities were so similar.

“You can’t sleep?” he said, as though he’d never noticed before.

She nodded.

“I thought there was a look of fatigue in your face. All the more reason to get some rest then.”

She didn’t move.

She only sighed.

“It’s a beautiful night,” she said, her eyes now scanning the forest.

He wondered what she wanted him to say. He was supposed to be patrolling, not passing idle minutes in conversation. Even the rank of captain didn’t afford him such leisure and such freedom to disobey his orders.

“Do you think it looks this beautiful at the villages in the north?”

Her tone was as distant as her stare. Was she trying to see the village from here? It was over twenty miles away, what was left of it anyway.

“It used to look beautiful, but I never remember it being this magical,” she continued without his answer and he was thankful for it. He didn’t want to have to answer questions about the villages. “Captain Corazon?”

Her voice was so quiet and sad sounding that he had to look at her. It demanded attention more than if she’d shouted at him. She looked as solemn as she had sounded. What was really playing on her mind and keeping her awake during the day? What had her staring towards home and standing here with him rather than remaining in the warmth of the company quarters?

“Yes?” he said, feeling the need to respond to her in order to get her to say what she clearly needed to.

“I can’t sleep because I can’t stop thinking about home.” She lowered her head until her chin was touching her hands where they were resting on the thick stone wall. “I was only there for twelve years, but all my friends are back there or they’ve been assigned to other companies.”

He stared far towards to the horizon in the same direction as she was, trying to make out where the village was.

“It’s the winter and the silence,” Corazon said and felt Scarlet look at him. She stood up, turning to face him. He kept his eyes forwards and thought about what he was going to say. He’d never really shared this with anyone before, but with her, it felt right to speak of it. “It makes you think and makes you realise things.”

She nodded and then went silent for a while. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was still looking at him, wide dark eyes shining in the torchlight and black hair spotted with snow.

“Captain Corazon,” she said and he faced her. She was always so formal, even at times like this when he would have easily called her Scarlet had she not insisted on placing his rank before his name. “Do you think everything is fine back at the village?”

He paused a moment and then placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I am sure it is.” He hated himself for lying to her, but she needed her rest and in his heart he knew that this was what she needed to hear in order to finally sleep again.

If he had to lie to her in order to give her that reassurance, he would, but only about something he knew wouldn’t deeply hurt her. Something like the destruction of the villages would give her reason to feel hurt, but it wouldn’t break her heart.

She smiled at him, her eyes reflecting those emotions that curved her soft lips.

“Now, Lance Corporal Scarlet, I order you again to get some rest.” He turned her about in one swift motion and nudged her forwards towards the stairs.

She walked there and then looked back at him, her face such a mask of pale beauty that he couldn’t look away. He was transfixed, lost in the way she was looking at him, and then she turned away and broke the spell.

When she was out of sight, he walked back along the wall and returned his attention to his patrol.

Only a part of his mind, in a deep recess reserved for thoughts of her, kept ticking away and replaying the look she’d given him in that moment on the stairs.