Shadows of Men (The Watchers Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

away.” 
                  “I will travel ahead to Ylia!”  Captain Jamus shouted, raising his hand high in the air as though he were a school-boy. 
                  “What if you are captured?”  Captain Barlos asked. 
                  “I put my faith in Lord Ivran.  And this is how I will prove to you that he will not harm us.”  Captain Jamus stood, looking down to his fellow Captains with a smile of confidence.  Of course, no one could stop him, since they all possessed the same level of authority.  “I will follow the main road into Adona, purchase a horse and ride to Ylia.  From there, I shall send the message that all is clear and Lord Ivran is a friend.  You will begin leading the people east in the morning.” 
    Captain Jamus turned on his heel to walk away but Captain Tammeran called after him; “you are leaving now?”
    Captain Jamus turned back around and waved to the other captains.  “All haste must be made.  We are in dire need of shelter and food.”  And with that, Captain Jamus turned and vanished into the cold, darkness of the night. 
     
    By the eighth day of traveling east, Captain Tammeran was beginning to wish that he had gone ahead to Adona instead of Captain Jamus.  With his aching back and blistering feet, he desired to be settled on the back of a horse more than ever.  The people behind him seemed to have the same desire- their moans and grumbles were audible enough to reach his ears and he tried to ignore them the best he could, but with each disapproving complaint that echoed behind him, his own heart would fill with anger and doubt and he began to wonder if they had made the right decision.
    I better get a signal from Jamus that we can proceed into Ylia.  If I cannot get these people into the city, surely they will all die before we reach Lerous.  It was a grim thought- a trail of corpses marking their failed path to the south. 
    That night, a harsh wind and a fowl chill came with the darkness and all the Captains agreed the time had come to rest.  The refugees hunkered down against trees and rocks, huddling together for warmth.  Small fires began to spread throughout the encampment but were extinguished by the wind before they could burn through the damp wood.  Several refugees began coughing; the chill of the air pressing hard against their chests and the sound of children weeping was like the rumble of an ocean wave- soft and distant until it came crashing against the shore.  Their cries turned into screams and Tammeran had to plug his ears against their wails if he was to get any sleep.  He pressed his back firmly against the trunk of the tree he leaned upon and closed his eyes.
    Please, almighty Gods, let Captain Jamus find us tomorrow.  He was not sure how much longer he could keep the refugees moving.  They came on their own accord.  They wanted to leave!  He had to remind himself that everyone here would make it to Lerous before giving up; or die trying. 
    It took Captain Tammeran nearly an hour before sleep took hold of him.  His dreams were as haunted as they had been when he left South Fort.  Images of the village flashed in his vision, making him jerk and shake in his sleep.  He could see the flames rising, higher and higher until the smoke blocked out the sunlight.  He could feel the heat of the fires as though he was still standing in the street.  And all around him people ran in chaos, screaming and flailing their arms, trying to escape the burning city. 
    And then he saw her.  Her silhouette burned against the raging fires and filled his heart with hatred.  He could feel his chest heaving with each strained, smoke-filled breath.  His hand tightened against the hilt of his sword and his feet prepared to rush forward.  He would be the one to end her life- he would be the hero of the realm.  But just as it had happened in real life, so did it happen in his dream.  The scream of a horse and the