Chapter Five

They had been running for a couple of miles, stopping on a few occasions and only for seconds at a time to catch their breath. After training and fighting with his team of Runners for many weeks, Alex had built up incredible levels of stamina and endurance. The freezing air no longer bothered him as much as it had the previous winter. He had become so acclimated to the cold now that he almost felt as though he was a part of it as he ran across the snow as rapidly and stealthily as a deer.

Alex’s focus was set solid on their objective to track down the Domineers, but at the same time, he thought about Rowan much of the way. While her brother, Delmar, maintained his authority at the Citadel, Rowan had spent much of these months out in the mountainous frontier with Alex and the other strong Ravennite warriors as they pushed the Domineers back. Delmar had certainly become more confident in his sister than he used to be, as though he was starting to believe that she no longer needed his protection. So was Alex still trying to protect her? He felt as though he made it seem that way when he spoke to Rowan. It was true; somewhere inside, Alex was still afraid of something happening to her.

For nearly an hour, the Runners rushed through the trees in the darkness of the early morning. Alex suddenly halted and signaled for the rest of them to stop. He scanned cautiously around the woods like a hawk. 

One of the Runners headed over to stand by his side, slightly disturbing Alex’s concentration. “Your name is Arin, right?” Alex uttered quietly to the Ravennite beside him, turning his head to face them.

Standing beside him was a young woman, around 20-years-old with shoulder-length fair hair and a scar running over her left eyebrow that she received while training. She was one of the few female Ravennites to endure the Runners’ harsh trials. To this day, both Alex and Rowan recognized her as one of the toughest of the bunch. “That’s right,” she responded to him.

“What do you think?” Alex asked, gesturing toward the woods around them.

Arin narrowed her eyes as she looked out at the darkness. She stepped forward and began examining the snow before them. The rest of the Runners immediately began spanning out and producing their weapons. She turned and looked back at Alex. “They’re close.” She felt her hand around in the snow. The cold touch barely made her wince. “There are fresh tracks here, heading south.”

“South?” Alex muttered curiously. The Domineers were up to something and it was making him feel increasingly cautious. They were more than twenty miles away from the outer defensive ring of Domineer camps surrounding Ramon Morenno’s territories. The Runners had instilled so much anxiety in the ranks of their enemies by endlessly assaulting their outposts. So what were they doing all the way out here so suddenly? There was a time not so long ago when the Domineers had the people of these mountains cornered and fearing for the very lives. Now the tables were turning, but in a way, it only made Alex fear that the worst had yet to come. He was worried that the events of their recent history might soon repeat themselves, unless they struck first and as hard as they could. He had to remember why he was doing this. He had to consider who he was fighting for.

The thoughts that were spinning through his mind suddenly came to a grinding halt. Without saying a word, Alex reached his right arm over his shoulder. The sword sheathed on his back was not like a normal blade. He crafted it himself with precise ingenuity. On the hilt of the sword, a small handle stuck outward from the side. Alex grabbed hold of the handle and pulled the sword from his back. The blade itself was rather short, only a little over fifteen inches in length. Attached from the bottom end of the hilt was a series of firm, leather straps, which Alex quickly fitted along his arm just above his elbow. Alex had been taught from day one that a sword was to be considered an extension of his reach. Now he had crafted a blade for himself which was literally a part of his own arm.

With his left hand, he reached around for one of the gun-like weapons he had secured just above the back of his waist. Alex grabbed the handle of the gun, which was sticking straight out for him to grip, and in a swift motion, he cranked the handle back and locked it into place before pulling it from its holster. Just like the Domineers’ weapons, which they used to fire several projectiles at once, Alex’s appeared to contain five small, separate slingshot mechanisms encircling the area where a standard gun’s barrel would be located. With his sword firmly strapped to his arm, Alex let go of its handle and reached into a pouch hanging from the belt around his waist. He pulled from the pouch five small, pointed arrowheads and began arming them onto his makeshift gun. 

The rest of the Runners were arming themselves at the same time and patiently waited for their leader to take point. Alex took a quick glance around at his team. They were more than capable, he knew it well. His friends were all around him, ready to fight alongside him anytime and anywhere. That was all the incentive he needed right now. The Domineers were close, they could feel it, and Alex knew there was a good chance that they were aware of the Runners’ presence as well, but he refused to dwell on any second thoughts. He took in a deep breath and firmly outstretched both his arms. At that very second, the Runners immediately split up and dispersed stealthily into the trees in opposite directions. If the Domineers were waiting for them, then they would be in for a devastating surprise.

Alex stared coldly out into the darkness before him. The Runners had all but disappeared. They knew exactly what to do. They had all trained for this; Alex had trained for this. He decided to wait no longer. Taking a few quick breaths, Alex lowered himself and quietly headed straight forward into the trees.