They had been on the road for two days.

And for two days she had been riding with Ryder as per his order, and not that she did not find it quite comfortable because then her hands could rest from pulling on the horse’s reins, but being so close to him. Being that close to him. For the two days they had spent on the road, Ryder had been beside her at all times, changing and dressing her injured hands with a frown on his face always, and even the simple task of feeding which she could do herself without much needing to stress her hands, she was not allowed to. Ryder would not allow her to.

His behavior towards her confused her and for the first day she tried hard to adjust to his new attitude, but with the death stares Iris shot at her at every given opportunity, she knew better than to get too comfortable with Ryder’s behavior. Xanth on the other hand was indifferent and he didn’t see anything quite wrong with what Ryder was doing or how he was behaving. And sometimes Lyra would catch him smirking at her and then laugh out loud, especially when he would want to feed her himself.

She managed through the two days in between Ryder’s weird behavior and Iris’s death stares, and when Xanth announced that they were very close to their camp at the Eldham border, she was more than relieved, at least whatever needed to be done would be done by Ryder and this would give her the much-needed space from him.

It was late in the evening when they arrived at the camp, Xanth had already gone ahead of them into the camp to announce their arrival and then they were welcomed by the commander there who bowed to Ryder, one fisted hand on his chest and his gaze low.

Ryder grunted in response and jumped down from the horse behind Lyra, then he looked up to her and stretched his hand to hold her firmly by the waist, helping her dismount, but rather than let her be after she had her feet on the ground, he pulled her closer to himself making her gasp in surprise. She looked up at him in confusion.

“Ryder…?”

“Xanth will take you to the tent.” He said, looking her straight in the eye, she could tell his seriousness by the tone in his voice and his intense gaze. She looked away when she felt her heart begin to pound. “Stay in the tent and do not for any reason leave or step out.”

“But…” She looked up at him, his hands still on her waist and her palm pressed against the thick fur coat on his chest. “…why?”

“Just…” He took in a breath and let it out slowly. “…stay in. Okay?”

She nodded and looked away to Xanth who had his hands stretched towards her to take her away. Ryder let her go and then he walked away with the commander.

Lyra looked around for Iris and saw her entering a tent, it was obvious that this was not her first time in there. She walked beside Xanth who supported her with one hand having a tight grip on her elbow, but when she noticed that he was taking her towards the same tent that Iris had entered, she pulled her hand back, stopping him. He turned to look at her with a quizzical look.

“What is it?”

“Are we going into that tent to stay?” She nodded towards the tent and Xanth looked over his shoulder then back at her with a nod.

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “Any other tent but that, except if you will stay with me and not leave.”

One eyebrow came up. “Are you scared?”

She shook her head. Well, she was not exactly scared in the way that he must have meant but she was cautious of Iris and would rather want to be as far away from her as she possibly could. “Iris is in there too.” She admitted.

He chuckled. “And?”

She frowned at him and he laughed loudly now. “Okay fine, you can stay in my tent but you are not allowed to go anywhere else.”

She smiled and nodded, then followed Xanth as he led her past that tent and into the next one. When he was satisfied that she was comfortable, he left to find the commander and Ryder.

“Withdraw the soldiers from the front line,” Ryder said to the commander who looked at him fearfully, withdrawing the soldiers from the front line would give the Rocheveron army the opportunity to break through.

“But my Lord, the Rocheveron army will break through.” He said, expressing his fears.

“Just do as you have been ordered to,” Xanth spoke, walking up to both of them. The commander turned so that he now stood in front of them both. Xanth looked at Ryder briefly, he understood what he wanted to do, they needed to cross into Rocheveron and Ryder would not be entertaining any delay. He faced the commander. “Withdraw the soldiers and Lord Ryder would take care of the rest.”

The commander bowed in obedience and went away to carry out the order he had been given.

“Where is she?” Ryder asked Xanth knew who he was asking after and he breathed out, clasping his hands together behind him and looking out.

“Safe.” He paused then continued. “In my tent.”

Ryder looked at him with a frown. Xanth smiled. “She didn’t want to stay in the same tent as Iris.”

“Right.” He sighed. “I will need you to go back and stay with her, I will handle this mess myself.”

“Of course.” Xanth bowed and walked away. Ryder stiffened and walked towards the front line as the soldiers were retreating.

The sky was dark as the day was fading away, and then slowly the weather began to change. The wind picked up gradually but there were no rain clouds in the sky. The Astaroth soldiers who saw their Lord Ryder walking towards the front line as they retreated knew what was about to go down and they increased their pace, not wanting to get caught up in the storm that was about to be dropped on the Rocheveron army.

Ryder walked head-on, his hands by his side and his palm spread out. Dark mist streaked out from the middle of his palm and his fingers. His eyes had darkened, swallowed up by the blackness that overwhelmed them. He didn’t attack in anger but in impatience, still, he didn’t just storm into the Rocheveron camp, he took his time, building up the storm as he walked on and giving the soldiers of the Astaroth army ample time to get out of his way.

The dust was flying wildly now and the soldiers yelled out to each other as they ran back towards the camp. It was getting more difficult to see past the dust in the air but Ryder could see just fine as he was the wielder of the storm, the creator. He had birthed it and he would make it the destroyer of the army that had dared to stand against his empire.

When he was sure that his soldiers had all retreated far back away from the front line and that he was well away from the camp, he began. He clapped his hands together once, drawing a sound as loud as thunder ringing through the place. The storm raged around him and he was sure to channel the destruction everywhere but behind him where his camp was.

The dark smoky mist escaped his body now, taking shape like silent shadows and flashing past him straight ahead. They sipped out from his body quickly; one, two, ten, fifty, each one spreading out in different directions in front of him and into the Rocheveron’s army camp. The sounds that followed were satisfying to his ears, he smirked, welcoming the screams of terror and death.

He would cross into Rocheveron before the day was over.

*   *   *   *   *   *

“Sire!” A soldier ran into the tent, taking off his helmet as he stood in front of the commander of the Rocheveron army. “We have word that Lord Ryder has reached the border, Sire.”

He turned to face the soldier and placed the book he was reading down on the table beside him on the left. “Lord Ryder? Did he come here himself? Hmm…” He scoffed. “Well, isn’t that great?”

“And sire? He plans on crossing the Eldham border into Rocheveron.”

“Crossing into Rocheveron?! With his army?!” He fumed. “I would love to see him try to get past my army!”

“Sire,” The soldier bowed lower, his voice shaking. “He leads no army, but comes towards the camp alone.”

Dimian roared in laughter. “He really thinks he is invincible, doesn’t he? Then let him come if he dares. Ready my armor, I will meet him halfway.”

“Well, that’s the thing, sire...” The soldier continued, looking as frightened as anything, his skin turning pale and his face washed off of any and every color.

Dimian looked away from him, noticing that the wind had picked up and was howling, his tent shook violently like it would soon be ripped off the pins holding them down securely, but that was not the only sound that reached his ears. Screams, men screaming in terror and fear. His men. He walked past the soldier and out of the tent and the sight that met his eyes weakened his morale.

The soldier followed him out of the tent and came to stand beside the commander, shielding his face from the debris and dust flying wildly around, then in a louder voice, so Dimian could hear him, he said. “He is already crossing.”