193 Hunter

As Arran looked at the bodies that lay on the ground in front of him, he felt no sense of triumph or accomplishment.

He had no reason to hate these defeated foes. That they were enemies at all was a matter of chance — he had blindly chosen a side in Hillfort, and had he chosen differently, they might well have been his allies.

Perhaps they deserved to die for betraying the Shadowflame Society, but in truth, the betrayal meant little to Arran. His only reason for joining had been to gain power, and his only reason for killing these two Masters was survival — his and Snowcloud's. Beyond that, he cared little about the Society's conflicts.

Maybe Darkfire had the right of it, he thought.

While Arran had spent the past year killing countless people he didn't know for a cause that wasn't his, Darkfire had spent it in safety and comfort, a woman he loved at his side and all the fine food and ale he wanted within reach.