Whispers of The Crescent Moon のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 11 - チャプター 14

Nova's Pov Pain woke me first. Sharp stabs in my ribs, a dull throb in my skull, burning scrapes along my arms and legs like someone had dragged me through thorns. My mouth tasted like copper and river mud. Every breath pulled at cracked bone. Dizziness rolled over me in thick waves, turning the room into slow, sickening circles. I forced my eyes open. Small stone room. Low ceiling. One lantern hanging from a beam. Rough wool blanket scratching my skin. My torn shift was still on—damp, stiff with dried blood and mud—but someone had draped a clean cloak over my legs. My ankle throbbed, swollen, useless. Where…? Memory came in pieces. The tunnel, the chase, the cliff edge, the fall, the river’s roar swallowing my scream. I’d hit the bank and then nothing. I pushed up on shaking arms. The room tilted violently. I clamped a hand over my mouth, swallowing bile. My shoulder throbbed in time with my heartbeat, warm, almost alive. Crystal stirred weakly. "You’re alive. That’s…

Nova's PovThe horse stopped moving before I realized we’d arrived.I had been clinging to Zephyr’s chest the whole ride. I was too dizzy, too sore, too stunned to do anything else. His arm had stayed locked around my waist, firm but not crushing, like he was afraid I’d slip off if he loosened even a fraction. The cloak he wrapped around me smelled of cedar and smoke. Now, the horse shifted beneath us, and I blinked against the sudden brightness.Torches. Dozens of them. Ringed around a wide clearing carved out of the forest. Tents in neat rows, black canvas with silver stitching that caught the firelight. Horses tethered in lines. Men moving with quiet purpose. Armor glinted. Swords hung at hips. Some turned to look as we rode in, eyes sharp, curious, but none spoke.This wasn’t a traveler’s camp.This was an army.My stomach dropped.Zephyr swung down first, then reached up for me. His hands closed around my waist and lifted me off the saddle like I weighed nothing. My ankle buckl