Dark Feather: A Dark Post Apocalyptic Romance by Alta Hensley Read Free Book Online

bandages later, I felt far better.
    After everyone had been bandaged, I beckoned to Rigby. “Ten of the Penna were killed. We should retrieve their weapons. The snowmobiles are also still nearby.”
    He agreed, and sent some of the men to retrieve the snowmobiles, arms, and supplies of the fallen enemy. Soon, my two throwing axes and sword were back in their sheaths, and my quivers were replenished with arrows.
    “At least they have some things of value,” Rigby said, surveying the small mound of armor, weapons, jewelry and coins that had been retrieved from the dead.
    A nagging thought flickered in the back of my mind. Slipping aside, I slid out of the encampment and headed toward the open land. Scouting lightly through the shifting landscape, I soon found a good vantage point from which to survey the icy land. A Penna camp stood there, as I had suspected. But it was heavily guarded. They appeared to be building watchtowers, and bands of men were working on them. A glint of light from one of the Penna’s helmets caught my attention and I tensed. There were slaves chained hand and foot.
    Dropping back down the ridge, I raced back to camp despite my wounded leg.
    “Rigby,” I called as soon as I had reached them. “The Penna have set up camp and have gangs of slaves working on it. They are vulnerable and their encampment has no walls. This is the time we should strike.”
    The Cyan fighters exchanged keen glances. A chance to regain their honor stood upon the open icy land. It was a chance to gain plunder and glory by defeating an entire army. Rigby nodded slowly and the men grabbed their weapons. We would fight again this night. I steadied my resolve, the love of battle filling me, but the fear threatening to paralyze. I only hoped the love would win over my fear.

Chapter Five
     
    Three days had passed since the attack. We had successfully captured the Penna’s camp, regaining our honor as well as precious resources. I had remained largely out of the fight—completely against my will. Rigby made it very clear I was not to fight until I had healed. I had protested to no avail, leading him to threaten an actual spanking if I were to disobey. The audacity of the man, to treat me like a child! And yet, he was the commander, and I had no choice but to obey.
    With the addition of new men to the Cyan force—when reinforcements arrived—the attitude toward me had changed. Before, I had been tolerated, if not accepted. Now, even the men whose lives I had saved condemned me. Since they despised a fighting Penna woman, I had taken to night patrols, even pitching my tent aside from the rest. Rigby disliked my withdrawal and ordered me to stay near camp, or once again, another spanking would be in order. The ridiculousness of his sanction tested my resolve to follow any further dictates. He wouldn’t dare.
    The sun had just set. Cool breezes whispered across the hills of snow. The camp was loud, shattering the natural stillness of the icy land and frightening away the few creatures that still clung to this harsh existence.
    I rose, slipping carefully away from my tent. Leaping the low wall, I headed into the frozen hills. In the stillness of the night, I treasured my freedom. The ability to scout and fight without judgment had been taken away, but they could not stop me from scouting and practicing in secret.
    After walking fifteen minutes away from camp, I stopped at the top of a large ridge. The surrounding icy land was open to my gaze, nothing moving but snow and wind. I inhaled, stretching slowly. The clear breeze carried just a hint of death. Only the brightest stars were visible, snow from the wind partially obscuring the faintest ones.
    Finishing my stretch, I drew my sword and began practicing. Back and forth across the ridge, I thrust and parried, fighting an imaginary opponent. All my skills were gained that way—shadow fighting. Sometimes an imaginary opponent was harder to fight than a real one. As the moon rose,